Westport in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Quick Article Index . . .
What
Demographics Compel Us to Construct a New $100 Million School?
Educational Benefits of a New School in Westport.
Guest
opinion - A new Westport middle-high school makes business sense.
Letter to
the Editor: Westport debt a ticking time bomb even before new school.
Westport
Land Conservation Trust and The Trustees Partner to Host the Annual Super Bowl
Walk.
Letter
to the Editor: Courts twice ruled there’s no proof of harm at Westport school.
Letter to the Editor: In response to the most recent
letter from Bill Reed.
Letter to
the Editor: Westport is talking.
|
What
Demographics Compel Us to Construct a New $100 Million School?EverythingWestport.com Monday,
January 15, 2018 Letter to the editor: Previously, I have written a letter to express my concern that we are in
a rush to judgment, based on emotionally charged and irrational reasoning,
concerning the proposed construction of a new school in Westport. As a
result, I have a host of questions based on my listening, reading, and
reflection. I invite my fellow citizens to submit your questions as we consider
this most important decision for our town. Below is my first question: Question #1:
What Demographics Compel Us to Construct a New $100 Million School? “Demographics are the future that has already happened.” (Peter
Drucker) Here are some facts to consider:
If I presented you these facts and removed the words “school” and
“students,” and “children,” would you immediately say to me, “We must build a
new $100 million facility to meet this continually declining, and still
projected to decline, demand?” Or would you say, “Wait a minute, may we please talk about this matter
further, ask other important questions, engage in frank and open conversation
to investigate the need and other facts and alternatives, and after real
digging and deliberation arrive at a well-considered decision?” Bill Reed Citizen Educational Benefits of a New
School in Westport. EverythingWestport.com Monday,
January 15, 2018 Dear Editor, I write to you today as an educator, a parent of two children in the
Westport schools, and as a member of the Westport School Building
Committee. As I listen to the
discussion regarding the building of a new middle-high school here in town, I
rarely hear much about what this will mean for the children of Westport and
how it will transform their education.
While I completely understand why most of the conversation revolves
around finances, please allow me to illustrate what a new facility will
provide for the students of Westport. On average, the size of the physical space in our classrooms at WJSHS is approximately 200-300 square feet smaller than
the state of Massachusetts requires in new buildings. Research shows that collaborative
learning, where students meet in small groups and work together to solve
problems and do hands-on learning, is the most beneficial way to teach. The
size of our learning spaces now means that collaborative learning amongst
students becomes next to impossible if the only way to set up a classroom is
in rows for traditional lecture. The new facility will provide ample space
for movement and interaction so students will be learning not just from their
teachers, but also from their classmates through inquiry-based projects. Science classes need access to water.
Currently, not one science classroom at the junior high school has access to water
inside the room. The rooms most junior
high classes occupy were never meant to be classrooms at all. Not only does the lack of water limit the
opportunity to do labs and experiments, it is also a major safety
hazard. This will undoubtedly be cited
when the school is up for its next accreditation. Currently, there is nowhere in the building for hands-on learning. The new building project will provide a
makerspace and a fabrication laboratory which will make real world
connections to classroom instruction possible. Taking textbook physics and math and
applying it to solve real world problems is the next level of 21st century
learning. In order for this to be
possible, teachers need the space and resources the new building can
provide. Not all students learn the same way or at the same speed. With this in
mind, teachers need the opportunity to work with small groups of students to
review, remediate, or reteach. Right
now, this is almost impossible with the space constraints at the
junior/senior high. All available
space is being used all of the time.
The new building will provide breakout rooms where teachers will be
able to take small groups and help them with what they specifically
need. This Response To Interventions
approach has shown a lot of progress, but without the appropriate places to
implement these ideas, continued growth is limited. Finally, the current setup has middle school students as young as 11
years old sharing the same building with 18 year olds. While great efforts are made to keep them
separate, there is simply no way to do this in a facility with one gymnasium
which is at one end of the building and a cafeteria at the exact opposite
end. The new design essentially
creates two schools with little, if any, intermingling. Each school will have its own gym, its own
locker rooms, and its own cafeteria.
Students at the high school will have their own identity and the
students of the middle school will be able to enjoy having a school designed
just for them. These are just a few of the transformational benefits that students
would see daily if a new school were to be built. Students of Westport have watched almost
every community around us engage in some kind of new school building project
and wonder why they are crammed into a less than ideal environment. I encourage everyone to attend a forum and
listen to the benefits a new school in Westport would provide for our
children. Sincerely, Jonathan Bernier English Teacher at WJSHS Member of the School Building Committee Guest opinion - A new Westport
middle-high school makes business sense. EerythingWestport.com Wednesday, January 17, 2018 By Nick Christ In business, it makes fiscal sense to anticipate issues ahead and plan
ahead for big expenditure items. If you can get free money to help address
those issues, so much the better. This is one of many reasons that I urge fellow Westport residents to
vote Yes for new middle-high school proposed by the School Building
Committee, the School Committee, and the Board of Selectmen. We as a town
have an opportunity to receive more than $38 million from the state to invest
in our town and our future, and it would be bad business to turn down this
opportunity. Others have outlined the concerns of a shuttered, contaminated middle
school and an aging high school with big ticket repairs looming, as well as a
69-year-old building that does not accommodate modern educational
practices. The cost of repairing and/or maintaining our existing
buildings has been well documented to be a bad business decision that would
cost the town more money in the long run. (It has been estimated at $52 to
$64 million for the current middle school alone, and it would be completely
on the town, as the state has declined to fund this option.) These are
important, and I share those issues, but let me address another issue. As a business person, my regional bank depends on a well-educated
workforce to staff our regional bank. Multiply BayCoast
Bank’s needs by all the many businesses and industries in the region that
require this same quality of workforce to be competitive and to make the area
grow. Education drives the success – or failure – of our region. It can
ensure that our children are prepared to enter this brave new world of
competition, creative thinking, and effective use of technology. To make that
happen, we must invest in those who will work for us. We can no longer depend on low-skill workers to build our economy.
Modern workplaces need people who can be nimble, able to address our
fast-moving world; divergent thinkers, who seek ways to solve problems that
we can’t even imagine now; and able to work together to make the business and
the community a better place. Education today is no longer “chalk and talk,”
where students sit in rows and listen to a teacher. Students learn best in an
environment where they work collaboratively and acquire the skills to analyze
and assess diverse information. Today’s classroom needs to prepare students
for that world of work, and our job as citizens is to be sure that our
smallest citizens have what they need to compete in that world. As a taxpayer, I see that we have an opportunity as one of very few
schools in the state offered this substantial subsidy to create a place where
Westport students can learn how to function in this changing world. It
concerns me that we might be so shortsighted that we begrudge making the
investment that will make this possible for our children and grandchildren.
It concerns me that those of us who have benefited from public education, for
ourselves and for our children, don’t see why we need to take our turn and
invest in our community. And it concerns me that we as a town, if we don’t
agree to make this investment, will see our children and grandchildren fall
behind and be unable to compete in this rapidly changing world. It is time to vote yes. I urge my fellow Westport residents to find
out the facts and to learn why this makes sense now. The School Building
Committee has a web site with much information at www.westportsbc.com. Let’s
invest in our town and our future. It’s our turn. Nick Christ Letter to the Editor: Westport debt a ticking time bomb
even before new school. EverythingWestport.com Friday, January 19, 2018 To the editor: I find myself amazed that we as citizens are considering incurring at
least another $60 million in indebtedness to construct a new school when
there is absolutely no conversation about the existing, and rapidly
deteriorating with each passing year, financial condition of our town. For
this fact I hold our Finance Committee responsible and derelict in their duty
to foster accurate and transparent conversation among the general populace
about our town’s true present and long-term financial soundness and health. How can I say this when the town recently received an Aa3 rating from Moody’s Investor Service for the issuance
of bonds to finance our new police station? And after all, in one recently
published citizen’s letter there is at least some belief that our town’s
indebtedness is only$8 million on a budget of
$38,000,000, a seemingly very healthy situation. However, here are the unvarnished facts, taken from existing public
town records and other published reports. They reveal that our total town
indebtedness, for which obligations we as taxpayers are on the hook, is
grossly understated (regardless of whether such debt is euphemistically
termed “included” or “excluded”). In a Massachusetts Department of Public Revenue report for Fiscal Year
2017 ended June 30th, Westport’s total long and short term indebtedness
(issued, or authorized and unissued, and including the police station for
$8,000,000 of new borrowing) totaled $20,299,000. The Prospectus for the Town of Westport General Obligation Police
Station Bonds, dated November 8, 2017, is for a total of $9,349,000, an
increase of $1,349,000 since 2017 Fiscal Year end. From the Town of Westport Post-Retirement Benefits Report, dated June
30, 2016, prepared by Sherman Associates, the unfunded actuarial liability
for Other Post-Retirement Employee Benefits (OPEB)---medical and healthcare retirement benefits promised by
the Town to its school, police, fire, and other town employees---is stated as
between $29,721,203, assuming Full Pre-Funding and an annual 7.5% return, and
$50,391,402, assuming Pay-As-You-Go and a 4.0% return. From the Town Auditor Report dated June 30, 2016, the Town’s portion
of its unfunded pension liability was listed as $20,687, 771, using an
assumed investment return of 7.75% From this same report, a 1% decline in the estimated return shows an
increase in this liability to $27,050,278. Therefore, at a more realistic 4%
estimated annual return this unfunded pension liability would exceed
$50,000,000. In a report prepared and published by an independent ad hoc citizens
group, dated January 13, 2015, entitled “Westport Financial Future,” and
shortly thereafter presented to the Town Selectmen, they concluded that: … “Expenses are growing faster than revenues, this
results in pressure on maintaining current service levels.”
… “Funds are not available for a number of critical needs.”
… “Each year the town will be less likely to meet its financial
obligations.”
… “Over a longer period, unfunded
liabilities (i.e. all medical and healthcare, and pension retirement
benefits) will represent an overwhelming challenge to the Town finances.” An article also written in 2015 by Richard Phillips, a member of this
ad hoc committee, and entitled “Westport’s Ticking Time Bomb,” stated that,
“The Town has promised employees retirement benefits that far exceed the
monies available to pay them.” By his estimate at that time he concluded that these unfunded taxpayer
retirement obligations amounted to a total of $6,500 per person, or $26,500
for a family of four. These numbers have only grown since then. The response of our Finance Committee and our Selectmen to all of the
above facts — nothing meaningful that I as a citizen have yet heard. However,
apparently there is a thought that has been expressed among some Finance
Committee members that these unfunded healthcare and pension liabilities are
not a problem, since if they do become overwhelming for the Town the State of
Massachusetts will step in to take care of them. If that is the case, I
certainly would like to have that understanding confirmed and out in the
sunlight. And I am sure that State officials and other Massachusetts
taxpayers will want to know this Town position as well. My conclusions: Even before considering the possibility of borrowing
an additional $60 million to fund a new school, our town is already actually
indebted, taxpayers are on the hook for promises to pay — not $20,000,000,
but rather approximately $120,000,000, when considering our unfunded pension
and healthcare liabilities, and using more realistic annual investment rate
of return assumptions. This indebtedness is growing rapidly each year due to the large annual
increase in these unfunded obligations. We as a Town are indeed already on a trajectory of serious long-term
financial trouble in which our expenses are outstripping our revenues, and in
which the unfunded retirement liability portion represents an overwhelming
challenge to the Town finances. Adding an additional proposed $60 million of borrowing will have the
town indebted in the amount of $180 million, and rapidly heading towards $200
million and beyond, on a town budget of $38 million. I cannot imagine this outcome, other than as a financial “train-wreck”
which is already unfolding, and whose end result can only be a sharp
reduction in Town services and expenses---including in the school system----a
huge tax increase, or some combination of both. When considering these facts, I ask you: what are your conclusions? Bill Reed Westport Westport Land Conservation Trust and The Trustees Partner to
Host the Annual Super Bowl Walk. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, January 21, 2018 WESTPORT - On Super Bowl Sunday
starting at 11:00 am, the Westport Land Conservation Trust (WLCT) and The
Trustees of Reservations (TTOR) will be hosting
their annual Super Bowl Walk, a hike that extends from the Slocum’s River in
Dartmouth to the Westport River in Westport. No Overflow Parking will be allowed this year. Those interested in participating in the
walk must register in advance.
Please register online at www.westportlandtrust.org.
A firm limit of 150 hikers has been set for this program. Conservation efforts in the
area make it possible to do this 6+ mile hike. Here’s your chance to
experience sections of trail not normally open to the public - and get a little
fresh air before the watching the Super Bowl! And for a special treat, the
Westport Rivers Winery will be opening its doors to greet hikers at the end
of the walk with discounted wine and beer by the glass only for $5 and 20%
off all take home wine for hikers, whether it is one bottle or many.
The walk will begin at 11 a.m.
at the Slocum’s River Reserve parking area across from 253 Horseneck Road in
Dartmouth, about 1.4 miles south of Russells Mill Village. Parking for this
program is provided thanks to Sylvan Nursery. No Overflow Parking will be allowed this year. Those interested
in participating in the walk must
register in advance. Please register online at www.westportlandtrust.org.
A firm limit of 150 hikers has been set for this program. Thanks to Whaling City Transit,
transportation will be provided from the winery back to your car with plenty
of time to get home to watch the big game. Be aware that trails will be icy,
snow covered, or muddy. Proper waterproof
footwear is required and dogs will not be permitted for this walk. A
suggested donation of $10 per person will help support the work of WLCT and TTOR. A special thanks this year to
the many trail volunteers and private landowners who make this program
possible year-in and year-out. For more information on the walk, please email
Brendan@westportlandtrust.org.
If the weather is questionable, cancellation information will be disseminated
24 hours in advance of the walk. Please visit www.westportlandtrust.org prior to the walk for cancellation
information. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, January 21, 2018 The Westport Planning
Board will hold a public hearing tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Town Hall Annex,
856 Main Road. The purpose of the
hearing is to accept public comments on proposed amendments to the Town of
Westport Zoning By-laws that would allow, restrict, or ban retail marijuana
sales in Westport: Failure to enact
recreational marijuana sales regulations or to extend a town moratorium on
marijuana sales (expires June 1, 2018) would expose the town to unrestricted
pot shops in commercial districts. Notice of Proposed Zoning By-Law Changes Public Hearing Pursuant to the provisions of MGL ch. 40A
§ 5 and Article 2.1 of the Westport Zoning Bylaws, the Westport Planning
Board will hold a public hearing on Thursday, January 25, 2018, at 7:30 p.m.
at the Town Hall Annex, 856 Main Road Westport. The purpose of the
hearing is to accept public comments on the following proposed amendments to
the Town of Westport Zoning By-laws: Item A2. To amend the Town Zoning By-Laws by
inserting the following Article 27 and updating the Table of Use Regulations
to prohibit Recreational Marijuana: ARTICLE 27 RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA ESTABLISHMENTS 27.1 PURPOSE Consistent with G.L.c
94G sec. 3(a)(2), all types of recreational
marijuana establishments as defined in G.L.
C. 94G, Section 1, to include marijuana
cultivators, independent testing laboratories, marijuana product
manufacturers, marijuana retailers or any other type of licensed
marijuana-related businesses, shall be prohibited within the Town of
Westport. Item B1. To amend
Article 1, Section 1.1 for the purpose of amending the definition of
“Agriculture and Agricultural” by adding the following wording: The growing, cultivation, distribution or
dispensation of marijuana is not agriculture or an
agricultural use or activity, nor is it considered a farm enterprise or farm
related experience. Item B2. To amend
Article 1, Section 1.1 Definitions for the purpose of adding definitions
for “Marijuana”, “Marijuana Establishments”, “Marijuana Accessories”,
and “Marijuana Products” Item B3. To amend
Article 4, by inserting into Use Regulations, Section 4.0.1
Residence/Agriculture Districts, subparagraph B.1
wording to exclude medical and recreational marijuana as a permitted home
occupation. Items B4
& B5. To amend the Town Zoning By-Laws by
inserting a new Article (Article 27) and updating the Table of Use
Regulations: To add a new Article (Article 27),
Recreational Marijuana Facilities and Uses, which would
allow recreational marijuana retail establishments by Special Permit in the
Business District and allow recreational marijuana testing laboratories,
cultivators and product manufacturers by Special Permit in the Science and
Technology Overlay District. Recreational Marijuana uses would also be
added to the Table of Use Regulations. Item C1. To replace
Article 26, Temporary Moratorium of Recreational Marijuana Establishments and
Related Uses with a new Temporary Moratorium extending the Moratorium until
December 31, 2018. A copy of the proposed Zoning By-Laws are on file with the Town
Clerk’s office, Town Hall, and Planning Board at the Town Hall Annex, 856
Main Road and may be inspected there during regular business hours or by clicking
here. On the November 2016 State election ballot, Westport Voters approved
Question 4, 52.8% in favor and 47.2% opposed, to allow the non-medical
(recreational) use of marijuana by adults in Massachusetts. On July 28, 2017,
Governor Baker signed the General Court’s revised law on the subject “An Act
to Ensure Safe Access to Marijuana” making numerous changes to the laws that
were approved by the voters. Jim Whitin, Chairman Letter
to the Editor: Courts twice
ruled there’s no proof of harm at Westport school. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, January 21, 2018 How does the recent Town of Westport vs. Monsanto court decision
impact our conversation about the new Westport school proposal? On Dec. 13, 2017, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston
ruled in “The Town of Westport vs. Monsanto Co.” that a lower district court
had correctly granted summary judgment to Monsanto in a lawsuit brought by
Westport in 2014. In its ruling the Appeals Court stated that the Town’s $26
million lawsuit against Monsanto had “failed to raise a genuine dispute as to
the merits of its breach of warranty in its negligence claim.” The judges further stated in their ruling that the Town of Westport
had failed to prove that the level of contamination was so severe that it was
harmful to human health. “No remediation is necessary — and hence, no
property damage results — unless PCB contamination in a building poses an
actual health risk,” Judge Sandra Lynch wrote on behalf of the unanimous
panel. Although this decision was reported in the Fall River Herald News and
in The Chronicle, much to my surprise I have neither seen nor heard much, if
any, subsequent conversation among voters of what I consider a blockbuster
ruling relative to the new school proposal before our town. For me, this decision raises so many questions. Here are just a few: ·
First, in light of this ruling, should the middle
school ever have been closed in the first place? ·
If it were deemed still functional as a school,
would we even be considering the proposal now before us to construct a new
$100 million facility for our grades 5-12? ·
If, even after this recent ruling, those who
support this proposal say that the school is indeed still contaminated, why
in the world would we choose this very same site to construct a new school
where we are told the costs to further remediate the situation remain huge —
and I will say subject to great unknown additional costs once you start
digging in the ground and getting into issues of public septic and water
systems? ·
Doesn’t the court’s decision demand that the EPA,
plus some other acknowledged expert, retest the Middle School environment,
just as we do in going to other doctors to get second and third opinions? According to public sources, (EverythingWestport.com, May 4, 2014 edition) we as a town
have spent more than $3 million between 2011 and 2014 on this middle school
PCB problem, we have taken out $4.3 million in loans in 2013 to pay for more
of the clean-up, which in 2014 was reported as being 95 percent complete. We
have since been told that we face another at least $17 million — and perhaps
even a lot more — to finish the job. All of this history has led us down a path to the present where we are
considering the construction of a new $100 million school. And now we have two unanimous court rulings that hold that the Town
has failed to prove the contamination so severe as to be harmful to human health,
and that no remediation is necessary. Wow! I ask myself: what is really going on here? What do we
as citizens really know, and what facts can we now trust, especially when it
comes to this very important matter on which we are being asked to vote, and
which has all sorts of long-term education and financial ramifications for
our town? I know for me that, as a result of all this recent court decision, I
believe it is time to take a pause and rethink this entire new school
question. Actually, on a much broader and deeper level, we need to ask
ourselves, “where and how will our children get the best education we can
possibly give them?” What do you think? Bill Reed Westport Letter
to the Editor: Middle School
PCB contamination presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health as
determined by EPA regulations. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, January 31, 2018 Questions have been raised about the recent court decision in Town of
Westport v. Monsanto. They are
questions raised with the intent to cast doubt on whether the Middle School
building is contaminated with toxic substances and presents an unreasonable
risk of injury to health. Thank you for the opportunity to address these
questions here. We will be having a public forum on Saturday, February 10th at 10:00
a.m. at the Westport Library where we will answer any questions about the
school building project. Please come. When PCBs were found in the Middle School building in the spring of
2011, the EPA made it clear that the Town of Westport was required under
Federal Law to offer a plan that would 1) completely eliminate the caulk and
all other manufactured materials contaminated with PCBs, and 2) require
quarterly monitoring to make sure that all surfaces and air quality were not
contaminated with PCBs beyond EPA regulated levels (50 ppm). On September 23, 2013, the firm of CGKV
Architects, Cambridge, MA released its 184-page report: “Feasibility Study
for the Ongoing Use of the Westport Middle School”. This report is available on the WSBC.com website
and the Westport Community Schools website. Among other things, the report found:
Given those facts, further remediation in 2013 did not make
sense. It would be throwing good money
after bad. After reviewing this report, the Superintendent and School Committee
made the logical decision to close the Middle School in September 2015 out of
concern for the health of the students and staff who were there every day.
They then sought help from the MSBA to craft a
permanent solution for Westport students.
Why does the Court seem to say something different? Judge Lynch’s decision states that the case
against Monsanto was based upon an obligation to have foreseen health dangers
created by their PCB-infused caulk in 1969 when the building was constructed,
and that the case cannot succeed because Westport did not introduce evidence
that the PCB-infused caulk created any health dangers at the Middle School. First, this opinion and the case itself deal only with the caulking
material. They do not deal with other
potential sources of PCB threats to health such as the mastic between the
ceiling tiles and concrete ceilings, the paint on the tiles, and other
contaminants, all of which are present in the Middle School. Related and more important, they do not deal with the fact that PCB
secondary sites were found on all of the surfaces in the building,
demonstrating that there was some sort
of source that had volatilized and spread the PCBs to those surfaces. Congress banned most uses of PCBs through the Toxic Substances Control
Act (TSCA) and gave the EPA power to establish and
enforce regulations. Under EPA
regulations, the use of PCBs in building materials like caulk at levels of 50
ppm (parts per million) or above is an “unauthorized use”. According to EPA regulation 40 CFR Section
761.20, “PCB items with PCB concentrations of 50 ppm or greater present an
unreasonable risk of injury to health within the U.S. Westport
Middle School contains numerous building materials with PCBs present at
levels greater than 50 ppm. This all highlights what every lawyer knows from her training and own
experience: that results of cases are
all situation relative—dependent upon the specific issues in play, the
evidence presented in that case, and the advocacy of the parties, among other
factors. More important, whatever the result in the Monsanto case, there is
absolutely no question that the existence of the PCB containing materials in the
building constitutes a violation of the EPA regulations. Any product which contains over 50 parts
per million (ppm) exceeds this standard, and there were many areas tested
that far exceeded this standard. One test showed 270,000 ppm (27%) of PCBs., As part of the MSBA feasibility study
process, our project management team has conducted further studies on the
middle school site to confirm the extent of remediation necessary when
demolishing the middle school, testing not only inside the building but also
the PCBs in the soil surrounding the building. We are confident that we will be able to
clean up the site and meet all EPA guidelines and regulations with our
projected budget of $4.8M for this phase of the
project. Our presentation at Town Meeting demonstrated that the most cost
effective solution is the construction of a new 5-12 Middle High School. We have examined this issue for almost 3
years and looked at 3 building sites, 5 grade configurations, and 24 building
options. The MSBA has approved our solution and is
willing to contribute 40% of the entire cost of our project—more than $38M. The town will
pay $58.9 million, not $100M. This is a good deal. It will
only get more expensive if we wait. Dianne M. Baron, Chair, Westport School Building Committee Letter
to the Editor: In response to the most recent letter from Bill Reed. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, January 21, 2020 Mr. Reed, what do you propose to make Westport schools better? We
believe our town should provide quality education for its students.
Your continued questions do not talk about Westport as community that must
provide a solid educational foundation for students, but rather writes about
Westport as though it is a Rubic's cube, constantly
twisting the facts and turning from the question at hand to find another side
of the puzzle. As senior citizens in Westport, we want to be part of the educational
solution and support the hard work of the Westport School Building Committee.
Westport has for too long turned its back on parents when it comes time
to vote to fund education. How can you
complain about the quality of education or parents making individual choices
for their children if you do not stand up and insure that the old Middle
School is demolished, temporary classrooms done away with and inadequate
classrooms replaced with ones that provide 21st century learning opportunities. Public education is key
to the strength of our democracy and a measure of values in our town. Join with the town's elders to make Westport all it can be. Norman and Irene Buck Letter to the Editor: Westport is
talking. EverythingWestport.com Sunday, January 21, 2018 Westport heads into the final days before a special Town Meeting that will
address important issues and make significant decisions for our town. Save.Our.Schools-
parent organization and YES! Westport have
helped to organize a new tool called Westport is Talking with those who
want to understand the issues and know the facts. Over the weekend of January 20 & 21st many Westport citizens will
open their homes, across town, inviting neighbors and friends to have
meaningful conversations ahead of Town Meeting. At parties and gatherings
the town will come together to talk about the new middle high school merits
and concerns in small gatherings . Westport is
Talking is designed to encourage positive conversations and refute those
too frequent, last minute, negative mailings put into every mailbox, that
have encouraged confusion and distrust prior to Town Meetings. Westport is a town of diverse views and dedicated volunteers. These
volunteers worked to evaluate what needs to be done. Explosive, negative
flyers and letters have regularly come from outside of the mainstream to
mailboxes townwide, stating NOT NOW, and ending with NOT in our town. Sadly
this have become standard strategy from opponents for each and every town
vote, a narrow one size fits all form of communication. The impact of social media and letters
to the editor show more citizens are seeking real information and listening
to those engaged in the process and preparations. Westport is ready to
understand the issues, make choices with the facts at hand and too support an
answer that best serves the town. Westport is Talking are
neighbors and citizens engaged in the important work of building a vital
community. If you would like to join a gathering or learn more about Westport is
Talking contact: Irene Buck, 508.636.0434 EverythingWestport.com Sunday, January 31, 2018 When Westport Middle School closed, the Westport School Committee
faced the cold, hard truth that the relocation of our entire student body
from four to three buildings is untenable over the long term. Leased trailers
and a return to overcrowded conditions at the high school facility are the
short-term fixes that allow us to keep a roof over everyone’s head for the
time being. We suspect the town may face a crisis-based decision in the near
future, possibly with no reimbursement from MSBA,
if we do not address our school facility needs now. Visit our second graders today and you enter the temporary leased
trailers with a limited life expectancy that annually deplete our budget.
Walk through the high school and you will find students in spaces not
designed for classroom use and in makeshift basement classrooms hastily
carved out of the old WHS locker rooms with
portable walls to accommodate the crush of students back in the 1970s. Look at our millions of dollars of capital needs
and you cannot help but wonder at what point we are throwing good money after
bad. Apply that same question to the prospect of spending thousands and
millions of taxpayer dollars to either maintain or demolish the abandoned
Middle School and you get the same result. The town’s School Building Committee proposes a fiscally prudent
long-term solution to build two schools for roughly 60 million local taxpayer
dollars. The MSBA reimbursement puts us in a buy
one, get one free situation so to speak, reimbursing nearly half of the total
cost for the 5-12 school. Additional reimbursements for nearly $1 million
spent so far on project design as well as the demolition of the vacant school
sweeten the pot to relieve taxpayers of two additional burdens. Rated by MSBA the most cost-efficient design in their list of
pending projects, the proposed school serves both the taxpayers and the
students well. That is the plan we support because the need is here, the need
is now, and the need is not going away. That is the cold, hard truth. We can
kick the can down the road or we can answer the call. Westport has a history of doing the right thing for our hometown
students. Post-World War II taxpayers answered the call when they built a new
school for grades 7-12 that has served three generations of Westport students
so well. They supported building the Macomber School only a few years later.
As the population grew, taxpayers answered the call to build a middle school.
Finally, they phased out the remaining wooden frame schools with the “new”
Westport Elementary School. That was a generation ago. It is time to answer
the call again. We support the new school project because without it we simply cannot sustain
our students in an appropriate educational environment for the long term. We
have hopes, dreams and plans for improving the quality of our programs and
the competitiveness of our offerings within the walls of the new school.
However, hopes and dreams do not change the fact that temporary trailers and
a Sputnik-era facility do not make educational or financial sense. The School Committee voted not to kick the can down the road because
it is the right thing to do. We have faith that on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2018
this community will answer the call. Margot Desjardins is chairperson of the Westport School Committee. - - - - - End -
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