School board changes course on public engagement strategy

The decision to re-configure the school district buildings has actually been an ongoing conversation for more than two years. In January 2016, a board-appointed committee composed of teachers, support staff, parents, students, community members, and administrators met to study how to shrink district costs through more efficient building use. The committee met multiple times and by March 2016 decided to recommend closing the Ackerson building. In April, the committee presented its recommendation to the board during the monthly meeting, but the board was unable to come to a decision at that meeting or the subsequent two meetings. At the June meeting, then-Superintendent Cherie Vannatter stated that the decision had been tabled until the next fall. (Many of the school board members at that time have either retired or resigned over the last two years.)

Building configuration was brought up again in April last year, when during a regularly scheduled board meeting, the school board was presented with 3 possible building configuration options. They then scheduled a special board meeting in May to make the decision.

This meeting, which the school publicized extensively, was standing room only, and the board made its decision in front of an audience of parents, teachers, school staff, and community members. At this meeting it was decided to close the Middle School for the 2017-2018 school year.

In contrast, this time around, building configuration was never discussed in open session of any school board meetings. Last week’s special meeting, at which the vote was held, was not announced until the week before, and there was no communication to student families that building configuration was being revisited.

As a result, the special meeting had zero attendance other than school board members, a student member, and the administrators who were included in the decision-making process.

The sharp contrast between last year’s effort to include the community in the decision making process, and the board making making the vote in front of a room of empty chairs, has left some parents feeling betrayed by a District who in November vowed to regain parents’ trust through improved communication.

Tabitha Caplon, mother of two elementary students and a preschooler, expressed anger–not at the decision, but at the way it was executed. Caplon stated, “I just think it was handled poorly. Why is there no additional information? I feel like my trust in Manchester schools has been broken to a degree.”

The school board will meet tonight–Monday, January 22nd–at 6 pm for its regularly scheduled board meeting in the board room of the Ackerson building, 410 City Road.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.