| Candidate Statement:
I’d like to take this
opportunity to introduce/re-introduce myself. I’m
Louis Jurist and I’m a candidate for re-election to
the School Committee. My wife Bonnie and I moved to
Wayland 16 years ago for many reasons, the most
important of which was the excellent reputation of
the public school system. As our three children, now
ages 15, 11, and 10, have progressed through the
schools we have been impressed by the many high
quality teachers they’ve had, but much still remains
to be accomplished. I am completing my first term on
the School Committee, and it has indeed been quite a
learning process. The three main ongoing and
unfinished tasks revolve around the fiscal
challenges as we try to simultaneously fund a top
school system and remain fiscally responsible to the
entire town (not just the school families), the High
School building project as we work with the state’s
new Massachusetts School Building Authority program,
and the desire to continue to maintain and update
curriculum and programs where appropriate.
This past year the
fiscal responsibility goal has taken center stage.
We have negotiated, under the very able guidance of
our Chairperson, Barb Fletcher, an extremely
responsible and fiscally prudent employment contract
with the teacher’s union. The total increase of 6.5%
over three years, along with freezing of most other
stipends, represents a below-market settlement,
thanks in large measure to the teacher’s union
recognition of the Town’s fiscal situation. The
other major, and controversial, step we took
involved the operating budget. The initial budget
recommended to us by the Administration came in at
the already tight Finance Committee guideline. We
took the highly unusual step, which I fully
supported from the outset, of returning with a
budget that voluntarily cut an additional $300,000
to save the town money and decrease the override
amount. This was accomplished by reconfiguring the
Elementary Schools one year earlier than had been
planned. The reconfiguration was premised on the
ability to preserve class size on average across the
district and maintain programming. This move has led
to considerable discussion, and I am truly sorry for
the ill will generated among some members of the
community. Closing a school is never easy as
residents who lived through past reconfigurations
will confirm. It should be remembered that it was
done with the best of intentions in an attempt to
“think outside the box” and save the Town money
during an extremely challenging economy.
We still must have
passage of the override this spring to maintain our
school and town services and to avoid what will be
quite catastrophic cuts in programs and crowding in
classrooms.
The High School
building remains a weak link in our system. Its
outdated facilities, cramped classrooms, and
inadequate technology are affecting the ability to
educate our students and have been cited by outside
agencies. The state has finally reinitiated the MSBA
building assistance program and Wayland has been
fortunate enough to have been selected in the first
group of projects to go forward. This is a testament
to both the dire need we have for a new facility and
the extraordinarily competent, well-qualified High
School Building Committee we have guiding our
efforts. I have been involved with this project
since the pre-project study days and am now the
School Committee’s ex-officio member. I would very
much appreciate the opportunity to continue with
this project over the next few years as it gradually
becomes a reality that will be an asset to the town
for generations to come and a credit to those
working so hard on our behalf.
Finally, we need to
find a way to continue to update programs and
curriculum to maintain a dynamic 21st Century school
system. This is a most difficult task in the current
fiscal environment, but one that cannot be
forgotten. We have seen curriculum updates and
technological innovation (much of it thanks to the
Wayland Public Schools Foundation). There are many
other programs worthy of consideration, including
Foreign Language at the Elementary level, a gifted
and talented program so these children don't get
ignored, a revamping of the High School Physical
Education Program, and many other areas that we need
to consider as the system moves forward and
continues to maintain our expected high level of
performance. While the School Committee cannot do
this on our own, we can work closely with the
Administration to evaluate these areas.
The past three years
on the School Committee have been challenging and
frustrating, but not without rewards. I believe we
have advanced the district in the above areas and in
many others. During this time I have not hesitated
to speak my mind and vote accordingly, even when it
disagreed with the Administration or some of my
fellow committee members. I would very much like the
opportunity to continue to work for the entire
town's interests and would appreciate your vote on
April 8. Thank you. |
