made possible by Citizens for the Revitalization and Urban Success of Holyoke
Holyoke Public Schools Out of Suffolk Street Now!
The Holyoke School Committee needs to act immediately on two items.
After the careful study of a task force, and over a year of deliberation, the School Committee voted on February 18, 2008 to move the administrative offices of the School Department from 57 Suffolk Street to available space in the Lawrence School. 57 Suffolk Street costs the City over $400,000.00 per year in rent and related costs.
Over 18 months later, the School Department is still at 57 Suffolk Street. In June, 2009, the City Council unanimously voted to endorse the move. In conversations with many Councilors, they are clear that they will not accept any more delay, indecision or excuses. I think the City Council is in line with the vast majority of those who have been following this issue.
Until the move is complete, this needs to be the #1 item on the School Committee’s agenda. Otherwise, our schools will lose support and credibility with the Community. That is just unacceptable.
An equally important issue, also affecting school dollars, must be addressed.
The John J. Lynch School was closed on June 30, 2008, and there are no real plans to use it for educational purposes. The cost of heat, electricity, and basic maintenance is carried by school department dollars, diverting thousands of badly needed dollars from the classroom. This wasteful spending of School Department dollars can end instantly if the School Committee will just vote to release John J. Lynch for school purposes. As of 8/3/09, the Committee has refused to consider the motion to do so made by Mayor Sullivan, William Collamore, Gladys Lebron-Martinez and me.
This is just a brief summary of these two important issues, and I’m happy to respond to any questions you have. But the bottom line is simple. We need to leave 57 Suffolk Street. We need to stop spending school dollars on John J. Lynch. We need to do both now.
After the careful study of a task force, and over a year of deliberation, the School Committee voted on February 18, 2008 to move the administrative offices of the School Department from 57 Suffolk Street to available space in the Lawrence School. 57 Suffolk Street costs the City over $400,000.00 per year in rent and related costs.
Over 18 months later, the School Department is still at 57 Suffolk Street. In June, 2009, the City Council unanimously voted to endorse the move. In conversations with many Councilors, they are clear that they will not accept any more delay, indecision or excuses. I think the City Council is in line with the vast majority of those who have been following this issue.
Until the move is complete, this needs to be the #1 item on the School Committee’s agenda. Otherwise, our schools will lose support and credibility with the Community. That is just unacceptable.
An equally important issue, also affecting school dollars, must be addressed.
The John J. Lynch School was closed on June 30, 2008, and there are no real plans to use it for educational purposes. The cost of heat, electricity, and basic maintenance is carried by school department dollars, diverting thousands of badly needed dollars from the classroom. This wasteful spending of School Department dollars can end instantly if the School Committee will just vote to release John J. Lynch for school purposes. As of 8/3/09, the Committee has refused to consider the motion to do so made by Mayor Sullivan, William Collamore, Gladys Lebron-Martinez and me.
This is just a brief summary of these two important issues, and I’m happy to respond to any questions you have. But the bottom line is simple. We need to leave 57 Suffolk Street. We need to stop spending school dollars on John J. Lynch. We need to do both now.
Comment
-
Comment by James Sutter on August 14, 2009 at 12:46pm -
Maybe if the school department has a smaller management team they could fit into the space. Every teacher I talk to feels that there is too much "middle management" and it seems that thinning that herd would "get 2 birds with 1 stone." Is this a factual assertion, or are the teachers just frustrated with the overall inefficiency.
As far as Lynch is concerned, I couldn't agree more that the School Department should divest themselves of this financial weight. This would not only diminish costs to the school department, but also give the city the sale price of the property and the annual tax revenue.
-James
-
Comment by Michael Moriarty on August 14, 2009 at 11:35am -
The opposition isn't the Downtown location-they are currently in a building that is only 3 blocks away on Maple Street.
Lawrence was a neighborhood school with over 400 students, when it closed for that purpose in June, 2008. The School Committee voted to move both a behaviorally based alternative program and the Headquarters in February, 2008. Obviously, this was not feasible until the neighborhood school moved in the summer of 2008. The alternative school did move as planned. However, the Headquarters move has been a case study of bureaucratic delay, obfuscation and inaction ever since.
The biggest argument against the move is that the alternative program has grown, and the school can't acccomadate both the program and the headquarters anymore. I have carefully reviewed the facts, and do not accept this as true. I wish I could go into details in this note, but it would be longer than I have time to write at the moment. I would be happy to have a talk about it with you and anyone else interested at your convenience.
-
Comment by Stan Geddes on August 14, 2009 at 11:05am -
Hi Michael
I'm with you and what seems like a majority of Holyokers on the " Out of Suffolk " issue. I would like to know what it is that is stopping it from happening. Are there people actively working to move to Lynch instead? Who and why?
I think the Lawrence School is a great building. As a resident of that neighborhood i believe that moving the School Dept to Cabot and Maple could help to further transform the area around our great library. But does this location make people uncomfortable?
Stan
About
© 2009 Created by Elizur Holyoke on Ning. Create a Ning Network!
You need to be a member of Holyoke's Social Network to add comments!
Join this Ning Network