Originally published in the MSAD No. 27 Budget Meeting Book - Tuesday, October 27
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Residents of the Communities serving SAD No. 27,
I am writing to you all today in the hopes of a fresh start, not only for myself in my new role as Superintendent of Schools, but also for you as residents of the SAD No. 27 communities. It is no secret that this past budget season has been a challenging one, where the voters have demanded to be heard, and the school committee and administration have listened. It is also no secret that we need to move forward with educating our students and begin preparing for the future of our schools and programs. Change is upon us, and with change comes sacrifice.
We are at a point in time where change surrounds us in education, not only in the way we must educate and prepare our students for the future, but also in how our communities’ decisions will mold our schools and programs, dictating the future of SAD27. Regardless of the changes, our upcoming year will be one where we will all learn something new, as learning is a process essentially intertwined with change. We cannot learn something new until we first start to let go of something old. Just as knowledge opens new doors, it also means leaving some things behind us as we move on. These changes make us wiser and stronger, but they come with a price. Although change is necessary for improvement, it is often met with concern and disapproval. We must work together to ease the concerns by being open, upfront, and transparent as we move forward.
Unfortunately SAD No. 27 cannot begin the process of change until the past is behind us. First and foremost, we must have a working budget in place. Without one, the timeline for change shortens, as does our window of opportunity to improve. It is my belief that the school committee and administrative team have made a concerted effort to present a final budget that is fiscally responsible while minimizing the impact on the quality of education for the SAD No. 27 students. The time has come for the communities to support this budget and allow us to move forward.
Although my time in SAD No. 27 has only begun, I want you all to know that we have a dedicated and enthusiastic team of educators and employees serving in our schools and programs. This is a testament to the pride and desire to improve that has been instilled over time. These are proud employees serving proud communities. It is not difficult to see that, and I couldn’t be more excited to work with them in building better schools and programs as we proceed.
At this point in time I ask that you please trust that the SAD No. 27 team has done their best in listening to the concerns of the community. Please trust that changes are coming. Please trust that you have the very best employees serving our schools. Finally, please support this fourth (and final) budget and allow us to get to work preparing for next year and the foreseeable future.
Yours in Education,
Benjamin Sirois
Superintendent of Schools - SAD No. 27
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