Do something and do it now
Please stop kicking the can down the road and not helping the school overcrowding problem.
Voting for another study, voting for another forum on a statistically invalid survey that is not quantified with numbers and facts is just another delay tactic avoiding a decisive / solution to impact overcrowding. Do you ask every citizen their opinion on every issue on what you vote on and vote accordingly? No you don’t! If you did the our taxes and budget would be greatly reduced.
During the mayors modular presentation, where you voted to authorize $300,000 for yet another study, the mayor stated each modular will hold approx 25 students.
If you take the time to do the math, review where there is or is not available space, and apply common sense you would realize this is not an “adequate” solution. You have already essentially kicked the can down the road for another school year.
The overcrowding issue was identified in 2018 and discussions started. It is now 2023 heading into 2024 and you are still studying/discussing with no tangible solution/action taken. At this rate, overcrowding will not be dealt with any time soon. Do you really have to get input from every single citizen? No, that’s a fools errand bogging down and delaying the decision. Maybe you should go back and watch School Committee meetings where students, teachers, parents and school committee members have discussed overcrowding and made their recommendation!
If this is how indecisive you are, then put it on a citizens ballot, because we are all impacted financially for the overcrowding resolution. It is not a select few that councilor Martins allegedly spoke to. Remember, only about 8,000 people in this city actually vote. You will never hear from every tax payer on every issue. You never do! But you have heard from enough residents, parents and school committee members that you need to execute a decision and move forward. Should have been a year ago not 2 years from now. You’re 2 years to late!
The mayor election is 2 years from now. At the rate school overcrowding is being discussed to death, it will still be an issue in the mayors election 2 years from now. Maybe that’s someones plan!
Please stop the nonsense, make a decision, stop kicking the can down the road! A majority of you know what needs to be done, you already have the School Departments input and you voted on it. OPEN Pope John to resolve the majority of overcrowding. Again, modulars at 25 students per module where they can fit, will be ineffective to make a dent in the “growing” overcrowding problem.
As well informed Councilor Smith has stated, take the roof money away from EHS, give ARPA funding to Pope John and get on with the best decision to provide the biggest possible impact, Pope John.
Regards,
John Puopolo – Ward 5
These questions should be asked
To the editor:
Why does the mayor think Robert’s Rules don’t apply to him? Why isn’t it a lie the mayor told in 2022 when he said he’d abide by what the School Committee and City Council decided about rehabbing Pope John?
Why does the mayor always say the modules are nice? He hasn’t shown anyone I know of which modules he’s referring to.
Why is the mayor lying about the price tag for rehabbing Pope John? He definitively said about a year ago that he’d only go with the “gold standard” of about $76MM. So why is now calling it a hundred million?
Why does the mayor always, always, always change the subject when someone tries to talk about the overcrowding in the K-8 schools? He always goes off on his set piece about the high school and how much we hope the state will kick in for that. We weren’t talking about building the new high school, we were talking about how to deal with overcrowding in the K-8 schools.
Why did the mayor assume Fred Capone was talking about him? Fred wasn’t looking at him and didn’t name a name. The mayor draped the mantle of ‘petulant’ on his own shoulders.
And last but not least, if things were so very bad in the schools, why didn’t a single one of those 10 mystery people who allegedly filed complaints say a word until now, not even after the SC voted months ago not to renew Priya’s contract?
JP Beckta