by Darcyll Dale,
Incumbent Member of Hamilton Select Board and candidate for re-election
I know everyone is concerned about the Hamilton Wenham Regional School District. Problems that have been revealed over the course of the last 5 years or so show us that money is not the only factor in the decline of the physical plants, and the slide of academic rankings in the District as a whole.
The major impediment to solving all these problems is that our HWRSD Agreement was written in 1959. Before computers, and best practices, and meaningful State law, as applied to modern Regional School Districts.
Updating the agreement would be a huge opportunity to build in collaboration and cooperation with the host Towns. As it is right now, the HWRSD is a governmental entity unto itself with no incentive to work with the Finance Directors or the FinComs of the Towns. But if that could be somehow codified, the Towns and the District could work together step-by-step to map out a future with certainty.
Some believe that the Select Board has responsibility and the authority for the School District, but that is a myth. The SB has no such power. All decisions are made by volunteer School
Committee members; citizens who have stepped up to serve. The problem is that there is no collaboration between the District and the 2 Towns. The incentive is for everyone to stay in their own silos. This does not make for progress or even planning for the future.
I am certain that if we approach the re-write with open minds, clear heads, and a desire to work together for the benefit of all the stakeholders, we can create a better District that will serve all stakeholders in the long run.
This is why I am looking forward to having the HWRSD opened up for a fresh look at what is possible, and everything should be on the table for discussion.
Respectfully,
Darcy Dale
Further Information
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Top School Districts in Massachusetts, 2021 | BackgroundChecks.org