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Superintendent Everett V, Olsen issued the following statement on Jan. 22 on Facebook.
Good afternoon Staff and Parents,
Several weeks ago I suggested to the School Committee that in addition to our scheduled evening budget meetings, we schedule a budget meeting during the day to accommodate parents and staff who have a difficult time attending night meetings due to family obligations. Such a meeting was scheduled for this Friday, Jan. 24. The meeting time from noon to 4:30 p.m. was aimed to allow staff to participate and provide input after the school day. The intent was honorable and solely meant to provide another time option for parent and staff feedback.
Unfortunately, some people felt that the intent of Friday’s meeting was to discuss issues without an opportunity for real-time feedback to the administration and School Committee. Please know that this was never the intention. We have a proud story to tell and we want our staff and residents to know how our budgets are planned from year to year and the return on every tax dollar invested; the return being students who are exceptionally well prepared for college and careers. However, since perception is sometimes a person’s reality, the administration and School Committee feel it is best to cancel Friday’s budget meeting.
For many years I, along with School Committees, have taken pride in presenting honest and factual information to residents, and I have always realized that to do anything less would be a great disservice to our students. We look forward to resuming public conversation with you so that we may continue to provide the best school system possible for our students.
