PTA Questions BOE on Building Vote

Article from Guilford Courier
By Pam Johnson
Published on 5/15/2008

Three Guilford Board of Education officials joined the superintendent of schools and a member of the Community Task Force on School Facilities to help the Guilford PTA celebrate a year of accomplishments and its fifth anniversary on May 8. While educational goals and program progress described by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Thomas Forcella were welcomed by the district-wide parent-teacher organization, some PTA members weren’t shy about voicing their opinion on how the BOE is handling its goal of meeting pressing facility needs at Adams Middle School and Guilford High School.

Following a presentation by BOE Chairman William Bloss, Task Force Co-chair Mauro Rubo gave a brief overview of the task force’s efforts to create seven different cost scenarios addressing facility demands at both schools. Through public meetings and other channels over the past few months, the task force and the BOE have been attempting to gauge public response to all proposals before one is forwarded to a referendum vote. One PTA member questioned whether the BOE is offering the public “too many choices,” adding, “we have elected you as leaders. Lead. Put two choices in front of us.” PTA Co-founder Doug Newman pleaded with the BOE to “really start to drive something.” Bloss said the frustration voiced by the PTA was understandable, but noted the goal of the BOE was to have a plan passed by referendum vote by June 2009, in order to meet the annual deadline for state financial assistance. Bloss added, “the number one trait we have to follow is patience. As long as we have something in place by June 2009, there is no reason to be impatient.”

Noting the volunteer task force was created by the BOE after a failed referendum vote for upgrades to school facilities, Bloss said putting the seven options out for public discussion proves the BOE is now “listening,” adding that the group learned “that was a serious complaint,” when the previous proposal went to referendum vote. He noted upgrading the two facilities is the “biggest issue” currently facing the BOE and stated the group wanted to be perceived as “fair and open” with its decision-making process. “Some people said, once upon a time, we weren’t open to new ideas. I hope they don’t say that now…the nine (BOE members), by the fact that we got a few people to vote, don’t have all the good ideas. We want people who care about public education in town to help to give us good ideas,” said Bloss. Bloss said the BOE wants residents to seriously consider, “what are our expectations as a community of our public school system–what is the benefit we’re going to see from the cost?” He noted the last school building project in Guilford was to construct Baldwin Middle School in 1969. Bloss re-iterated the importance of a successful referendum vote to address needs at Adams and GHS buildings, saying, “we are here because, for the past 40 years, the town has consciously decided to under-invest in infrastructure.”