Two weeks ago, in the editorial entitled “The Minority Report,” we wrote about the need to listen to all opinions- even those we disagree with. We wrote “If we ignore, or worse belittle a minority opinion when it is being expressed in a civil way, we can be sure those who believe it will find a way to be heard.” We did not anticipate needing to offer a refresher so soon.
Last Friday, Central Middle School (CMS) was abruptly closed, deemed “dangerous and unsafe for human occupancy.” Parents were caught off guard and upset. What would happen to their CMS students come Monday morning? At the time, Board of Education chair Kathleen Stowe said “as a Central parent myself, I’m very focused on what the plan is for Monday. The administration will be working on this all weekend.”
To Ms. Stowe’s credit, and the credit of everyone involved, they did find a solution. They divided the approximately 600 students, and each grade went to a different school. It is a temporary, but necessary solution to the immediate problem of a school that has become structurally unsound. As we write this week’s editorial, efforts are underway to shore up the structure so students can hopefully return after their February break.
We fervently hope they are successful. Reading Tiffany Vizzo’s OpEd this week, you can feel the frustration of parents. Our student’s education and safety must be at the forefront of how the Board of Education (BOE) operates. As one BOE member Laura Kostin recently said: “There is nothing more important than the safety of students and staff.”
Assuming the students return to CMS soon does not end the conversation. Where our school building’s construction and maintenance are concerned, we must find a better way. Cos Cob School, North Mianus School, and now Central Middle School – how many more examples of school maintenance, or lack thereof, do we need before recognizing that business as usual is not working. Our children deserve better.
This is not just an issue for the BOE. The Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) controls the purse strings. In 2017, former First Selectman Jim Lash was again a member of the BET. He asked for $500,000 to study all Greenwich Public School (GPS) buildings and come up with a realistic plan for school maintenance and construction over the next 15 years. That report, issued in 2018, identified CMS as a top priority. Clearly something got lost along the way.
We have noticed a disturbing trend over the past few years, an increase of politics and personalities in two boards that should be relatively apolitical. It is time for these two boards to grow up and set an example for the children (and others) in our community. Do you think our children feel their education and safety are prioritized when they witness finger pointing and squabbling?
Fortunately, the elections this past November brought new people and new leadership to both boards. It is an opportunity to reboot both boards and align them for what is best for Greenwich.
As we said in our editorial two weeks ago: “We have found there’s a fallout from two years of the COVID pandemic. It is unfortunate, but people are much less willing to listen to those with differing opinions. How quickly we can close-down those whose views differ from our own.” We must fight hard against this mentality, or we will continue to suffer the consequences.
New boards and new challenges highlight the need for new thinking to address what lies ahead for our community. If the speed and outside-the-box thinking with which the BOE found a temporary solution for our CMS kids is any indication, we’re hopeful for the future.
