These sentiments about keeping Dale at Dale reflect many others...

" We have kids at the Memorial School and and a younger one at home. When we moved to Medfield, one of the factors that was so important to us was choosing a location in town that would allow our family to walk to school as much as possible. As they reach the Dale Street School grades, our hope is that Dale Street School will remain at its current location. This school is part of our neighborhood, and it is important to us that it remain this way. We often walk our kids to Memorial now and, as we pass Dale Street, they already ask us if they'll get to walk to school on their own when they're older. Moving Dale would take away this valuable opportunity for independence. "

"Dale Street School is a historic landmark. One that offers students the ability to be in the town center. It is a place where they can walk "uptown" and gain more independence. But more importantly if we can add on to the current Dale Street School while saving major tax dollars, then why wouldn't we? This town is pushing it's taxpayers to the max. If we choose the Wheelock site with the extra tax increase I am afraid it will price families out of this town. Is this really what we want to do?"

"It just makes sense to renovate the original Dale Street School building. It is a wonderful anchor to the neighborhood and an architectural beauty. Continuing to have Grades 4 and 5 in the existing location will provide liveliness to the neighborhood especially with the many new housing units being built or proposed. I understand the need to upgrade the 1940’s building as I worked for Medfield Public Schools for 24 years - most of them were spent at Dale Street School. The building has great dignity in my opinion. If it was worthwhile to renovate the Town House building, it is surely important historically to reuse Dale Street."

"(Dale at Dale) is better use of an existing structure, better site location, better control of costs."

" Living on Dale St., the school is a wonderful addition to the neighborhood. It offers a playground and fields for the area children to play in, and is a grand old building (that does need to be updated). There is no other large open space on this side of town so the school land is special. Dale St. is a great location for 9-10-11 year-olds to experience their first taste of independence and walk up town. It was nice to have my son go to school close to home for K-1, then take a bus for 2-3, then walk to school for 4-5. He enjoyed going to school in the different buildings in different parts of town and felt like a big kid walking to Dale St. It's great to see and hear the children coming and going from school." 

"The traffic on Elm Street is currently hazardous at best for residents of the neighborhood. Knollwood, and South Street is also hazardous, with traffic backed up on South and Elm as commuters try to cut through on Knollwood and rushers threatening wrecks to get through. While a stop light would help with the hazard, it will further back up traffic. This current bad situation will be doubled if the school rush hours include twice as many students, teachers, buses, and parents."

"(If Dale at Dale) we will not have to tear down/renovate the existing building. We will maintain the needed fields at Wheelock. We will not impact the well area. We can maintain the historic facade in the design of the new school. It will be good to balance the numbers of schools spread around town. It will have students alternate north and south side of town as they progress. Students will not walk or ride the bus for years, but some will alternate. And we'll maintain sense of the whole town rather that north south divide."