Author: Tim Goodrich

By Michele Hunton

Thanks to the School Committee (SC), School Building Committee (SBC), and other town officials for their time and dedication to the school building project.

I want to present the background and concerns that led to my and others’ positions on the school project. The recent statement by the SC that “One community school for all students, at the Doyon site, is still the active project supported by the School Committee” has led me to believe that the SC plans to move forward with a combined school at the Doyon site despite the failure to obtain two-thirds support to fund a feasibility study for a combined school at Doyon by 101 votes.

Continue reading “It Is Clear There Was Never a Consensus to Build a Single School at Doyon”

By Randy Hackett

As someone who’s always pushed for two small schools, I feel the need to defend the two schooler’s position from those who say, “Where have you have been?” The answer is that many advocates of two schools have been here all along from the beginning of the process.

I’ve been to numerous school committee meetings and Tri-Board meetings throughout this lengthy process. The two school signs that appeared on lawns in the run up to town meeting are two years old.

The fact that SOI’s to rebuild Doyon were never submitted, neither in January of 2015, or in January of 2016 would lead many to conclude the two-school model was never really considered by the SC.

Continue reading “Two Equal Schools — The Way To Unite Us All”

By Neal Zagarella

As an Ipswich taxpayer and parent of two successful graduates of its schools, I have been disheartened by the tenor of the school building debate and disappointed by the lack of cogent leadership from our town boards. Many of the most passionate citizens on all sides of this debate are the same people that have fought hard for school funding at the ballot box and given of their time and money to support education in Ipswich. Civic engagement must be more than choosing one side and attacking the other. That breeds apathy and cynicism. Respectful open debate should be our goal.

Continue reading “Preserve small school communities”

By Christopher Blagg

Continue reading “Two schools, one strong community”

By Jacob Borgman

Dear Citizens of Ipswich,

We believe in the best possible education for all children who live in Ipswich.

We also believe in a school system which adds as much value as possible for the entire town, for each of its citizens, young, old, employed, unemployed, or retired, without unduly burdening any segment of its population.

We believe in honoring a wide range of sentiments on issues of central importance for our community, and making decisions based on sound scientific studies.

For these reasons, we believe in keeping and improving our two elementary schools.

Continue reading “Some Students Need a Downtown School and a Fair Chance at Success”

By Nicole Whitten

I am writing this in enormous gratitude for the endless time and energy that all the boards have put forth for Ipswich’s elementary school project. Not many understand how much is sacrificed for the sake of others when holding public office. Sincere thanks for your civic duty.

When the new elementary project first began I was very certain that a combined downtown location elementary school was best for our youngest students and citizens. At this time, I feel compelled to share my reasoning for being strongly opposed to the Doyon site for a combined elementary school.

Continue reading “It Makes Me Sick to My Stomach, but I Cannot Support Single School at Doyon”

By Steve Chaggaris

Last night’s untelevised tri-board meeting (in addition the school committee meeting of May 18) revealed that there’s a robust amount of citizens who — regardless of the school committee’s majority vote — are simply not in favor of building one large elementary school.

Many of us in the Winthrop community who were largely in favor of keeping two separate elementary schools settled for one new school when it was decided that the most accessible site for this new school would be the Winthrop property.

Personally, I accepted the purported one-school solution as a compromise. (I would’ve accepted this compromise solution on the Bialek site as well, but the selectmen removed Bialek from the school committee’s consideration).

Continue reading “Bialek Was a Compromise But, In My Heart, I Longed for Two Separate Schools”