Dr. David Hopson
I’m aware of the ripple effect that decisions made in the Gateway Regional School District have upon not only our seven communities, but also on others both near and far. One easy example of this is the impact that decisions on cancelling school, delaying the start of school, or letting school out early all have on the region. From parents who have to make arrangements for their children, to our bus drivers who have to change their plans for the day, to our highway crews who work diligently to ensure safe travel, to the vocational schools, and of course to our staff and students, these decisions impact activities, travel, the number of vehicles on the road, and even traffic for local businesses. I’ll also take a moment to remind parents and guardians that the district, as in past years, will be shortening April vacation if we miss more than seven days of school before the start of April break. We don’t often reach the point where we have to use vacation days to make up school, but it has happened and there’s no guarantee that this year will repeat last year’s mild winter, or that some other incident won’t cause us to lose school days.
The impact of changing the calendar regarding cancellations, early releases, and delayed starts for our schools may be the second-most observed item by the towns and public. I’d guess that the most observed, and attention getting, impact on our local towns are the town assessments that support the education of our children. As with so many other items, the budget seems to take on a life of its own, especially as we move towards spring and annual town meetings. I know the school committee has been taking a more hands-on and in-depth approach to budgeting and, with the support of town finance committees, it looks as though the Gateway Towns Advisory Committee (GTAC) will be revived.
As I’ve written before, this could be a very good development for both the towns and the school district. I’m hoping that we all recognize that our hilltown communities are known by the schools they keep. From the number of people who attend athletic events, performing art presentations, use the facilities, or follow our students and staff in the myriad activities that they complete every week, the Gateway Schools are an integral part of our towns from being the largest employer to being something that our towns are known for throughout the state, region, and even country. This is much more than just recognizing the impact the school has on our local budgets and is important to share with the entire community, as the majority of our residents do not have children in our schools. I’m hopeful that the ‘new’ GTAC will take a much broader view of what our schools mean to the towns beyond assessments, tax rates, and budgets and share this with both town officials and the community as a whole. Research has shown that student achievement, facility upkeep, and the overall characteristics that make schools effective have a direct impact on how communities view themselves and how they are viewed by families thinking of moving into a district.
While I know this will be an ongoing process, I hope that everyone is aware that, after years of attempting to do more with less (reducing the budget by $1.4 million without significantly cutting student opportunities), we have reached the point where additional reductions in funding will result in a direct reduction of student opportunities. Everyone who has lived in the district for some time will recall the cost of renovations due in part to a lack of sufficient funds to maintain and improve the physical facilities. As we move forward in working collaboratively with our towns, we’ll need to consider funding a capital line to ensure that we don’t put off making improvements until they become a required, and much more costly, project as happens in so many municipalities.
In conjunction with capital expenses, we also have to look at ensuring that the schools can continue to move forward in meeting student and parent expectations. We need to recognize that making a commitment to education is also making a critical choice to maintain and develop prosperous and successful communities for everyone. I’m looking forward to sharing information on the many ways that the schools and communities can work together to better our opportunities for a shared success for all.
