a Raynham parent and voter
September 1, 2004
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Joseph Gillis Jr.
You can do something!
It is posted here in its entirety and unedited.
~~~ Joseph Gillis, Jr.
What a sad commentary our B-R School District has become when scores of friends and parents of children within our school system feel they must whisper their disdain for the past action of the School Committee and Administration for fear of retribution to their children or themselves as they have witnessed the actions of some of the parent / teachers organization’s individuals that have targeted you.
I applaud your conviction to vote for ALL the children throughout the district by voting against gifting money to Raynham’s K-8, and I am from Raynham. As a member of the K-12 Regional School Board you are absolutely correct that any monies for the schools should go to the entire school system and all the students programs. No matter the source. If we continue to tailor “gifted” school monies to separate towns K-8 programs only, eventually we will all be looking for alternate schools for our children; ESPECIALLY a High School, as we will have a brand new facility that we will financially not be able to open. Ironically the same K-8 parents who do not seem to grasp the repercussion of “gift budgeting” the elementary & middle schools today, In just a few short years will be the future IRATE parents of children going into a high school with no arts, physical education program or even transportation.
I’ll be damned when the day comes that at half time of a school sporting event that we are handing out Gatorade to kids from Raynham and letting the Bridgewater kids go thirsty. I believe a district meant we are looking after all these children as one family.
Joe, as a manager who has been involved in labor negotiations both collectively and individually for many years, I am aware that you are somewhat limited as to what you may or may not be able to discuss. However, I have a couple of questions for you (even though they did not select you to sit on the bargaining committee).
Most people are aware that you and Lou Pacheco are new to the board and have nothing to do with current financial crisis the district faces. However, most everyone is also aware that the principal reasons for the depletion of the money is the more recent wage increases that have occurred (while laying off numerous personnel), and the exorbitant increases in the health care package we provide.
Why is it we hear no progress on this topic? Isn’t our board attempting to get this under control? In Taunton the Mayor, recognizing the millions of dollars in healthcare costs increase on this years budget alone, publicly kept the taxpayers informed of progress through the media and negotiated with 17 unions to change the costly BCBS program and employees contributions, saving million of dollars and in turn, many City jobs. This is probably the single largest monetary issue and potentially savior for our high school programs, and yet we hear nothing.
Several months ago I wrote a letter to the Chairperson of the B-R School Board regarding these issues and upon calling Patty Roland I learned that she never received it. Subsequently, I personally delivered the same letter to her house and yet this letter to the board was never read. I know for a fact that communication too the board with taxpayer input on negotiations is not only ethical and legal, it is due process. Would you please ask her why?
In closing, having listened to [ subjected to] an Elementary School Principal standing on his soapbox for half an hour at a school event and tell the children and parents of Raynham to keep sending the money if we care about our children’s education, I came to realize that there are many people with vested interest in personal agendas within the schools that want to vilify common sense people like you for standing up for the lower and middle income residents of our communities and demanding fiscal responsibility! However, please be aware that the majority of our townspeople, though not the most vocal, are seeing through the “Spin” and are appalled at the mere mention of attempts to recall our candidate of principles. In fact a large number of Raynhamite are now discussing recalling the incumbent school board members who in part, created this crisis.
One final question, has the Superintendent supplied the publicly requested financial information and collective bargaining agreement documentation to you or are they still stonewalling? You need to demand it!!!
Sincerely,
Bill Nickerson
Raynham Parent
