I--and about 200 other community members--attended last night's School Committee meeting at Town Hall. There were three pages of names of people waiting to speak at the public discussion section. What I heard:

• Lots and lots of passionate pleas to maintain the arts and music in our schools. They cited their own experience, their kids experience, studies and more.
• many people speaking on the benefits of the METCO program, including a current student
• many worried that increasing athletic fees will decrease participation to detriment of the students
• concerns about the combining of grades in one classroom
• well-researched requests for using some of the Town Reserve (aka "Rainy Day Fund") to help the schools this year
• "found money" as of yet uncounted in current budget
• a AHS student who pointed out "It's totally raining here"
• requests for overrides for this year
• the Arlington FY11 group, submitting questions to address now to make next year run as smoothly as possible, and requesting
• the president of the Traffic Supervisors, worried about student safety
• a number of people who didn't realize they had signed up to speak but were still willing to get up and say something to the Committee and audience
• articulate AHS students speaking to increase funds for the schools
• concern over the effects of the budget cuts on future teacher recruitment
• Bishop bus: is it an unfair tax for those who use it?

 
Added: March 10th 2010.