Letter to the Editor: North Reading Education, We Need to Move Forward

Just a note of full disclosure before I get to my main points:  I would probably be considered a part of the “school lobby” as discussed by a recent letter to the editor.  By the way, I do not take offense to that moniker.  The truth is that I have been part of the “North Reading Education Lobby” for many years long before the school building project emerged.

I would like to focus on a few key issues.  First and foremost, the anger and harsh words that have been directed at the SSBC, School Committee, and Board of Selectmen are unnecessary.  These people are volunteers and committing significant parts of their private lives to improve the community.  We may not always agree with everything they say or do, but we need to remember something important: they are volunteering and the rest of us are not.  Whether we believe it or not, their intent is to make North Reading a better place to live.

Secondly, this town needs new schools.  It is as simple as that.  In the old days, kids could be educated in a one room farmhouse and do okay in life.  This is not possible anymore.  We need modern, efficient and functioning facilities that enable the kids and teachers to focus on learning.  The schools need labs, gyms, performing arts space and technology.  Being in the business world, I can see the difference in kids entering the work force who have been educated with technology. This is critical if we want our kids to have any chance of succeeding in the future.  A recent volunteering activity brought me to the Wilmington Middle School.  When I walked in I could not believe my eyes.  My first thought was “..I hope the kids in North Reading can experience something like this..”.   

Lastly, I want to address the perceived “over budget” discussion.  I don’t view the school project as over budget.  Unfortunately, the state funding process requires towns to submit project estimates very early in the process, well before solid construction budgets can be developed.  Now that the engineering and design is further along, the current costs are now higher than those preliminary estimates.  This should not be a surprise - that is why they are actually called preliminary estimates.  Nobody in North Reading did this on purpose to “keep the price tag down” when the project was presented to the town for approval.  The fact is this is not an extravagant, over-the-top school project.  Our current design is modest and cost efficient and will still be one of the most inexpensive school projects built in the state.

My wife and I have 3 children at the high school, one a junior and two are freshmen.  Only our freshmen will get the benefit of this project, and likely for only one year.  However, we continue to support this project because it is not only necessary but it is the right thing to do for the kids and the future of this community.  As a town we overwhelmingly voted to build these schools.  Please come out later this month and do it again.

Dan Driscoll