5-26-04 by Mark Distaso Co-Chair
Many people in the community have asked about the CEC, who makes up the CEC, and what is it that they do. The CEC is also thought of as controversial by some because of positions that we have taken. Hopefully this will clear up some of these questions and provide a better understanding about what is being done and by whom.
The CEC is a self formed committee of concerned citizens that came together after the November 2003 bond election. Concerns and controversies that stemmed from school district policies motivated a large section of the population to take greater interest into school district operations, and a select number of people organized this informal committee. The CEC is not formally commissioned by the District nor does it represent the district in any formal capacity. . It is in fact a community group that invites all members of the community to attend.
Originally, committee members attempted to assist the District in establishing a plan to maximize the savings associated with the closure of Acton Elementary due to budgetary deficits. After careful study and evaluation, committee members began to realize that maybe it would be unnecessary to close the school as other potential budgetary strategies existed to resolve the budget shortfall. While there are those that may disagree, including members of the Board of Education, the CEC worked to present a budget recovery package for study and evaluation by the District. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, these budget strategies were not accepted.
With tensions and emotions running high in our school district, personal relationships and the ability for constructive interaction have eroded. It is apparent that the CEC has fallen out of whatever favor it may have had with the District despite internal efforts on the part of committee members to reduce undue acrimony in regard to District issues.
The CEC has provided and will continue to provide, an outlet for the community to address concerns about the District during informal meetings that are not bound by the necessary legal constraints of formal school board meetings. The CEC, while it has been perceived by some to be a divisive group, is interested in trying to bring polarized factions of this community together in an attempt to find common ground and mutual interest that can lead to the strengthening of our District. It is this very reason why we introduced the concept of a Strategic Plan that if done correctly, can bring stability, direction and the establishment of clear priorities to the District.
While I have lived in Acton for a number of years, I am a relative newcomer to participating in school district activities. It is apparent that controversies surrounding the District are not a new phenomenon and have in fact been a main stay of the District for some time. If efforts to bring this community together can be truly undertaken, and if the District will launch good governmental efforts to conduct Strategic Planning, Needs Assessments, Master Planning and sound budgetary practices we can all achieve our ultimate goal of providing quality education to our most precious resources – our children.
The CEC meets every second and Fourth Tuesdays of each month at 7:30pm at Hedgecock Hall. All members of the community are invited.
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