By: Ralph Mayo
As an educator, it is my primary responsibility to keep all of our students safe and secure, no matter the circumstances. This responsibility has not changed in the 44 years that I’ve worked across the Greenwich Public School district. When writing these columns for this paper, I have stayed away from any controversial topics to ensure the focus has always remained on our staff and students. Avoiding controversy ends today, because what I am about to share should not be controversial. It is necessary for our staff and students.
It is imperative that the BET and ultimately the RTM fund the Capital Projects that the BOE has proposed for the schools in our district. Our community wants and deserves school buildings that are well ventilated, accessible to all, safe and secure, and have fields that can be used for our athletic programs and for those sponsored by Parks and Recreation. A few years ago, when we cut the ribbon to officially open New Lebanon School, we celebrated and emphasized that all of our schools needed to look and feel like this new building. And I believe that can happen if we follow the recommendations in the Master Plan. We cannot continue to allow our students and staff to teach and learn in buildings that are over one hundred years old. These types of buildings are not accessible to all, they aren’t conducive to 21st century teaching and learning, and they have health and safety implications. It is unacceptable.
At GHS, our stadium has been the center of controversy for a number of years now. Everyone seems to have a different vision for the stadium and how to rebuild it. We have spent a great deal of time gathering and discussing how this facility should be built. And I’m so grateful for the community members who have come forward to share their concerns, thoughts, suggestions and more. Now, the time has come to stop talking and build this stadium so it is ready for the fall of 2021. Our student athletes deserve a facility that mirrors their success on that very field and our spectators deserve to be able to watch a game in relative comfort with unobstructed views. We must continue to work to keep this project on schedule and on track.
A new entrance for GHS is moving forward. A building committee is in place and is chaired by Stephen Walko. We are grateful to have Mr. Walko leading this effort as he truly knows how to get things done, as is evident from the New Lebanon School Building Committee closing their project on time and on budget. Let’s fund this project so we can break ground in July of 2022, because this project is an absolute necessity. We need an entryway that is safe and secure for our students, staff and building visitors.
Finally, we do not have enough playing fields in town to accommodate the number of teams that want and need access. The remediation of fields three and four at the high school will take time to complete and will give the high school and Parks and Recreation one less field to offer our respective teams. This project needs to be approved and funded so we can have remediated fields for our students and residents. This project will also demonstrate how three different town departments can collaborate and communicate effectively over time to bring this project home. What a great example of the Vision of the Graduate for our students.
It’s been disappointing to see other projects around our town move forward, while our Board of Education projects get stalled, get pushed out to future fiscal years or get conditions placed upon them. The projects put forth by our Board of Education are all necessary for our students and staff. They are prioritized for safety and security, health and student/staff well being, and accessibility. We need to continue to fund these projects that give our students, staff and their families school buildings and other facilities that not only meet basic requirements, but that they can be proud to call their own. Please join me in supporting our capital projects. Go Cardinals!
