Educational Task Force to hold public forum

By Ruth M. Lyon

Turley Publications Reporter

NORTH BROOKFIELD - The North Brookfield Educational Task Force invites, even urges, persons interested in the future of the school system and education in this community in five years to attend a public forum on Wednesday, June 9, at the senior center on Forest Street.

The meeting is designed for North Brookfield residents who are interested in how their children and grandchildren will receive education over the next five years, committee members say.

According to James Metcalf, spokesman, the forum is intended to bring to the forefront questions vital to the future of education here, in the face of decreasing state aid, increased state and federal mandates, and demands placed upon the educational system by a variety of forces.

Options available to this town to meet its mission - to provide education to its children and youth is a subject this town’s educational task force has been studying for a few years. The task force was established by the board of selectmen and school committee to study factors such as state mandates, trends, costs, regionalization, and educational programs. Examination of such programs, Metcalf says, will help to identify how they might impact learning and schooling over the next 5 – 10 years.

Subjects to be addressed will include the questions “What will our school system look like in five years? Can we remain as a community school? Should we join a regional school system? What, realistically, are our options?”

The task force, made up of Deb Arnold, Marty Toomey, Greg Sinner and Jim Metcalf has been collecting data, including a resident survey, for the past few months. The survey findings and other related information the committee has gathered will be presented and discussed at this meeting.

Selectman Mary Walter, at a recent meeting, stated her interest in and support of the work of the task force. “These subjects are of vital interest to the town. While there is continuing government pressure to regionalize, this committee has carefully searched for and explored other options. I hope all citizens, not just educators and parents of young children, will attend and participate in the dialogue. What happens to the schools will impact everyone who lives here,” she said.