The Reconfiguration
Elevator Version ~ Big Deal ~ Timeline ~ Gory Details
What's the big deal?
In a nutshell, here's why the reconfiguration struck such a raw nerve and led to such devisiveness and animosity:
• The decision took just a few weeks, with little discussion and no fanfare. This violates the School Committee Guidelines, which state that a school closure should take 2 years and provide ample time and opportunity for community input.
• It was made with no notice to parents, prior to a note in the children's backpacks, many of whom learned of the closure before their parents did.
• The truth was repeatedly spun and distorted in order to justify closing the school.
• There was extreme arrogance and a dismissive attitude from the SC towards the parents.
• As the parents repeatedly disproved the wild and untrue claims used to justify the school closure, the SC and administration continued to move the goal post, reminding parents of the game "Whack a Mole", where no matter how many of their objections were put to bed, another one would immediately pop up in its place. It quickly became apparent that the reasons for the closure and the reasons for closing Loker, rather than Happy Hollow were not the reasons being stated.
• In what is probably an example of voter fraud, the SC put a vote before Town Meeting in 2007 asking for $750,000 for new windows at Happy Hollow, but neglected to inform voters that a deal had been made between the schools and FinCom that if a school were to close any time soon it would not be Happy Hollow. Even after video tapes surfaced proving that on 2 separate occasions these assurances were alluded to by the FinCom Chair, they insisted that no deal had been made. Eight months after that ATM, the SC voted unanimously to close Loker School. Members of the FinCom and SC claimed they did not recall any deal having been made 8 months prior, even theough some of them are clearly seen on the tape in the room the night these assurances were made.