Horace Mann Space Needs Campaign
As you may know, Horace Mann is in dire need of additional space for 2011-12 (see this fact sheet for more background information). In light of this fact, back in February 2010 the Newton School Committee identified Horace Mann as one of four elementary schools across the city that need more space. (The others were Burr, Zervas and Mason-Rice.)
Inexplicably, however, at the first School Committee meeting of this school year in September, Assistant Superintendent Sandy Guryan presented a plan that showed only the other three schools as needing more space – in other words, Horace Mann had fallen off the list!
Thanks to the persistent advocacy of several HM parents, HM is now back on the list, but this incident made us realize there must be a consistent, organized effort to keep communicating with the School Committee about our needs or else we might find ourselves off the list again. At a time when school construction dollars are extremely scarce, we cannot and must not let that happen.
That is why we are asking members of the Horace Mann community to help keep the pressure on our elected officials regarding our space needs in two ways:
1) Attend a public hearing this Wednesday, October 20th, at 8:00 PM at 100 Walnut Street in Newtonville, Room 210. The only topic on the agenda is space needs of the elementary schools and F.A. Day Middle School. The more bodies we can have there representing Horace Mann, the better.
2) Sign a petition. It’s simple and takes just a minute to do. We will present the list of signatures at the special School Committee meeting to take place on Wednesday.