Frequently Asked Questions
As this list grows, we will categorize it. But for now, we will just start listing questions many people seem to have about the schools, the administration and the School Committee. If you have any questions of your own you'd like answered or that you'd like to see on this list, please let us know.
What is "transparency"?
This is not your grandfather's transparency - a piece of acetate for the overhead projector. Transparency in government means open government. It means that the people for whom government exists - "the people" - get to see and understand how decisions are made, how budgets are put together, etc. It is a means of holding public officials accountable. According to Wikipedia, " When government meetings are open to the press and the public, when budgets and financial statements may be reviewed by anyone, when laws, rules and decisions are open to discussion, they are seen as transparent and there is less opportunity for the authorities to abuse the system in their own interest."
Who creates the budget for the schools?
The school budget is drawn up by the administration and passed on to the School Committee for their approval. Once the SC approves it, it is then submitted to FinCom for their blessing, and ultimately to the voters at Annual Town Meeting, as part of the town's budget, where the voters get to decide whether to accept it as it is, or vote to amend it in one way or another or reject it.
What is the Open Meeting Law (OML) and why is it important?
According to the state website, "The Open Meeting Law supports the principle that the democratic process depends on the public having knowledge about the considerations underlying governmental action. The Open Meeting Law requires that most meetings of governmental bodies to be held in public. There are some exceptions, which are designed to ensure that, public officials are not "unduly hampered" by having every discussion among public officials open to the public. As a result, the Open Meeting Law provides for particular circumstances under which a meeting may be held in executive, or closed, session. You may also contact the Division of Open Government, within the Office of Attorney General Martha Coakley, at (617) 963-2540 or openmeeting@state.ma.us."
What's the difference between the School Committee and the Administration?
• The School Committee (SC) is an elected board of 5 volunteer members who hire, fire and oversee the Superintendent, set policy and recommend a budget.
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The Administration includes the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Business Administrator, as well as a few others, i.e., Director of Student Services, Technology Director, etc.
The term "administration" can be confusing, as it is sometimes meant to include school principals and their assistants, while other times it means only the Superintendent or the Central Office.
What is SOS and why are they so controversial?
According to its website, "Save Our Services (SOS) is a grass roots coalition that works to preserve Wayland's services and quality of life in a fiscally responsible manner." They are known as being strong proponents of overrides in Wayland and work very hard to ensure their passage. The controversy seems to be in two forms:
First, there have been individuals and groups in town who have opposed overrides for years who do not support the SOS message.
More recently, however there were several hundred families who were disenfranchised over the school reocnfiguration of 2008, and SOS, in spite of its reputation for supporting the schools, supported the School Committee instead, in its decision to close Loker School. In addition to the original Loker families who were disrupted at the time, more recently there have been many Claypit Hill and Happy Hollow familes that have come to realize how the reconfiguration has affected them, as the two remaining elementary schools have become significanly more crowded, frequently at or in excess of the SC class size guidelines. Some have sarcastically referred to SOS as Save Our Secretaries, as the organization has continued to support the often controversial positions of the school administration, i.e. when the FY11 budget cut 7 teachers, but left the administration nearly intact, including 3 secretaries for the Superintendent.