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Letter to the Editor: High School should be in hybrid model sooner

Posted Dec. 26, 2020

Something is rotten in the Nashoba School District.  Though the School Committee voted to switch to a hybrid learning model at the high school level on March 1st, make no mistake that this was in fact a vote to continue with only a remote learning option for at least another two months.  It certainly is hard to please everyone, but it is safe to say that, by denying parents a choice for what is now most of the school year, this result pleases no one but whatever group is whispering in the ear of our school committee chair from Lancaster, Kathy Codianne.

Where exactly did this March date come from?  I do not recall it being talked about at the previous meeting. It clearly does not make sense from a transition standpoint. It does not make sense from a COVID standpoint. The method to the madness of the March 1st date was most likely because they knew the votes were not there to continue with denying parents a choice.

I do want to thank Stow committee members Leah Vivirito and Rich Eckel (along with Bolton committee members Amy Cohen and Michael Horesh), who voted to move the date back to the much more logical semester transition date of February 1st.  I would also like to point out that all four committee members from Lancaster voted against the February 1st date.

Facts are the facts. The facts are that our government leaders think all kids should be back in school.  The facts are our scientific leaders think all kids should be back in school (and have the studies that show it is safe to do so). The facts are that the doctors that care for our children think that all kids should be back in school.  Facts are that high school kids have been in school in all of our neighboring districts for months now. Further, we have probably just gone through the peak of the virus and, though the facts show there have been over 70 COVID cases in the last two weeks within the district towns, the facts also show only a handful or two have been in our schools and there has been no sign of spread or clusters within the schools. Unfortunately, Kathy Codianne and six other members of our school committee prefer to ignore the facts.

They have now started to release the studies that show depression among our school aged kids is sky rocketing. If they truly cared about the health and well being of our kids, why does this very important aspect not matter?

Though I am a big advocate of providing our children a quality education, have two kids enrolled and a wife that teaches in the district, there is no way I would ever vote for a building that in essence becomes a tacit agreement to continue with the status quo for how this district is run for another 30 years. Things are going to need to change. I would just as soon vote for a new high school for Stow, where at least the parents and taxpayers would have the ability to take their school district back from Kathy and the folks whispering in her ear.

Chris Sarno, Stow