The Ad Hoc Committee is nearing the end of its work. The Governance Subcommittee has been working on a document that will serve as a model for a cooperative agreement by which both towns' Boards of Education can jointly operate a single school without either town surrendering its autonomy. The Programming Subcommittee has been charged with the task of developing a model for staffing a single school, and determining how much it would cost.
We plan to present our work to the towns in public information sessions this spring, prior to the annual town meetings. The model agreement and program will go to the Boards of Education in each town for their consideration. The ad hoc committee has no decision-making power. Whether or not to adopt what we propose as presented, or to change it, or to leave the status quo is a decision that only the Boards can make.
The Programming Subcommittee's work has been conducted in public sessions. But the Governance Subcommittee has been meeting primarily in Executive Session. Drafting an agreement is one of the activities public boards can carry out in executive session, and our decision to do it this way has been vetted by attorneys and also by staff at the Freedom of Information Commission. We decided to have our discussions in closed sessions so that we would be free to have a wide-ranging discussion without creating undue controversy over ideas that we would not include in the proposal. Controversy may well be unavoidable, but it will be most productive if it is over the ideas we bring to the public, and not those that did not make it into the draft.
We have presented the draft to the Scotland Board of Education for its input, and will do the same for the Hampton Board at a meeting tomorrow night. These conversations, both in closed session, are to solicit input so that we may improve the draft prior to turning it over to the Boards. Once we do that, we look forward to an open discussion of the merits of the proposal.
I know our decision to deliberate in closed session has caused some concern, both within the committee and among the public. This is understandable, as we are discussing an issue of great importance to both towns. But please bear in mind that this committee has no decision making power, and rest assured that the document we bring to the public--and very soon--will be better for our ability to debate it in private. We look forward to presenting our work in public and to turning it over to the Boards of Education for their consideration.
Gary Greenberg
First Selectman
Town of Scotland
Chair, Ad Hoc Committee
We plan to present our work to the towns in public information sessions this spring, prior to the annual town meetings. The model agreement and program will go to the Boards of Education in each town for their consideration. The ad hoc committee has no decision-making power. Whether or not to adopt what we propose as presented, or to change it, or to leave the status quo is a decision that only the Boards can make.
The Programming Subcommittee's work has been conducted in public sessions. But the Governance Subcommittee has been meeting primarily in Executive Session. Drafting an agreement is one of the activities public boards can carry out in executive session, and our decision to do it this way has been vetted by attorneys and also by staff at the Freedom of Information Commission. We decided to have our discussions in closed sessions so that we would be free to have a wide-ranging discussion without creating undue controversy over ideas that we would not include in the proposal. Controversy may well be unavoidable, but it will be most productive if it is over the ideas we bring to the public, and not those that did not make it into the draft.
We have presented the draft to the Scotland Board of Education for its input, and will do the same for the Hampton Board at a meeting tomorrow night. These conversations, both in closed session, are to solicit input so that we may improve the draft prior to turning it over to the Boards. Once we do that, we look forward to an open discussion of the merits of the proposal.
I know our decision to deliberate in closed session has caused some concern, both within the committee and among the public. This is understandable, as we are discussing an issue of great importance to both towns. But please bear in mind that this committee has no decision making power, and rest assured that the document we bring to the public--and very soon--will be better for our ability to debate it in private. We look forward to presenting our work in public and to turning it over to the Boards of Education for their consideration.
Gary Greenberg
First Selectman
Town of Scotland
Chair, Ad Hoc Committee