Below, you will see a replication of a document sent to some parents from the school administration of the school their child or children attend. The document bears the typed name of Tom Sullivan, the Superintendent of the Moriarty-Edgewood School District (MESD).
The text of the document seems to be an attempt to set the stage for helpful and honest dialogue regarding possible solutions to the finanacial conundrum in which the MESD finds itself.
Sadly, we find from the document there are several promises made which remain unfulfilled. Those unfulfilled promises serve to harm the announced transparency of the MESD Superintendent, and the governance provided by the MESD Board of Education.
Why are the citizens of the MESD left wondering why the words of the document were not carried out? Was it because of secret instructions to the superintendent by an unknown person or a group of persons? Or were the promises contained in the words of the attachment purposely ignored due to some mysterious and sinister reason? Or … was the failure due to an extended lapse of memory on the part of the document’s author? So many questions — So few answers.
You decide:
Dear Moriarty-Edgewood parents and staff,
As you likely know by now, the District has been facing some serious budget and facility problems which, unfortunately, now require prompt attention. We have lost 2,000 students in the last 12 years- over 40% from our highest enrollment point.
During a series of both staff Advisory Committee and public meetings, we have identified a number of options to address the crisis- virtually all of them requiring school closure(s) and identifying other appropriate, alternative uses for existing District buildings.
Although almost everyone recognizes the need for drastic action, no one wants it be their own campus that is selected. While this may be understandable, it creates its own set of additional problems. I absolutely believe certain decisions have to be made NOW to at least stabilize the District’s finances, while more comprehensive, long term planning can then be undertaken. Problems that were 12 years in the making can’t be totally solved between now and August, 2014; especially those that would require major overhauls to curriculum, staffing patterns, facility design, transportation etc.
The MESD Board of Education has scheduled several more public meetings in the next month- the evenings of Dec. 10, 17 and January 21 (emphasis added) at the very least- at which they will continue to weigh options and listen to the school community.
Please try to understand that whatever the final outcome, it will be driven by the Board’s efforts to do what is necessary for the well being of the District as a whole.
Sincerely, Tom Sullivan
Well, we all now know the MESD Superintendent and the MESD Board of Education did not wait to make the decision to close two schools until or after January 21, 2014; but hurried to make the changes on December 17, 2013.
Given the failure of the superintendent and his and the board’s actions is it any wonder that parents, citizens and officials of the Edgewood community give little to no credence to anything they have done or will do in the future.
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