McCracken: School board’s PreK-12 planning needs a closer look
July 15, 2020 | By Maureen McCracken Last week I sent a letter to the HUUSD School Board about their PreK-12 district design work. I encourage you to do the same.
What we as voters need to know is that the board is following the very same path they laid out to the voters in March before the budget was rejected on Town Meeting Day. Their latest action picks up where they left off last November in discussing the design and configuration of the schools in our district. They appear to be continuing on the same path with a committee charged with setting out a timeline and possibly seeking some new information. Their approach and justification are problematic for three reasons:
1) The failed budget vote gave strong indications that voters did not agree with the “plan” - combining Harwood Middle School students and Moretown 5th and 6th graders into Crossett Brook Middle School using temporary classrooms before the plans and funding were in place to accommodate the increased enrollment there. Yet the board is doggedly resuming this pursuit anyway. The board seems to think that voters didn’t know enough, rather than consider that voters may have disagreed with that scenario. Their current goal is only to offer more information about the same plan. I will be glad to see more information since it was so sparse before, but honestly, I don’t know how it will help win support. An example of a flaw with this plan is considering adding 150 more students to CBMS which has just one art teacher without any additional teacher. What additional information short of a decision to add another teaching position can make that palatable to people who think art is important in education?
2) In November, the school board voted to “..continue exploration and development of a preK-12 plan.” In the past 8 months, the board has completely neglected to “explore” (which implies looking at various information, justification, and possible solutions) At the same time, it never actually developed a plan, either. It looks as if they are working toward more of a “plan” now - filling out more details of how to move more kids into a crowded building.
3) Our reality today is vastly different than it was 8 months ago and yet the board is continuing with its “plan” as though nothing has changed. If ever there was a time to “explore” justifications and alternative solutions, it is now.
I want to highlight that last point next. In my letter to the board, I offered the following list of topics of new information and analysis that they should consider as they develop their plan.
Physical and social-emotional safety: The 2019 school climate survey results show some concerning data about how students feel about their physical and social-emotional safety. I am sure that the administrative team is already working on determining causes and solutions to that but these findings should have some bearing on the PK-12 plan: In what ways might this plan make that issue better? In what ways might it make it worse? Or is there no expected impact on this issue at all?
Housing sales: I have been hearing stories about real estate agents being very busy, even selling some houses sight-unseen. I have no idea if this is a trend or just a few individual realtors having this experience, but the board should gather more information, and then perform a “what if” analysis about what will happen if more families move into our district. Are school administrators already hearing from new families entering our district? It also would be interesting to determine how this middle school merger notion might encourage or discourage families to move to our communities versus elsewhere in Vermont. (I would think anyone who cares about tax dollars would want more families to move here).
COVID-era learning: In a post-COVID world, we might need more physical space or perhaps we need less space if more learning happens at home. Our leaders should study what educators are discovering about teaching and learning right now, and then determine possible risks and rewards of merging more kids into Crossett Brook.
Likelihood of a construction bond: This spring, the board seemed in agreement that a bond is not likely in the near future for our community. What are the benefits and costs of merging students using the current building envelope without expansion or renovation if we don’t seek more funding?
Systemic racism in our schools and school system: The board and administration have already begun to identify issues in our school system that contribute to racism. This issue should have a place in the PK-12 plan with an eye toward whether our structure going forward could improve issues related to racism and a caution that it not make things worse. Perhaps the plan has little to no impact at all.
With the board’s narrow scope and clearly defined end-point, it appears to be closed off to the possibility of changing minds or changing the plan-in-progress based on more or new information. (This sadly falls short of the decision last November when the board voted to “continue exploration” in this matter.)
But we as voters can still demand that they include the new information suggested above so we can vote accordingly next March on the budget and on the election of board members. Please consider writing to the board at cen-huusdboard@huusd.org . Be sure to include other ideas that you may have as well.
Waterbury resident Maureen McCracken is a former Harwood Unified Union School District School Board member.