This will be the central issue facing the district for the foreseeable future. The reorganization was presented as a path to stronger long-term financial stability and more balanced socio-economic representation.

The reality is, we are still learning every day how deep the impact will be. It is the responsibility of the AB School Committee to ensure transparency and access to data so we can measure whether the expectations of reorganization match reality.

Few scenarios cause more anxiety for students and parents than facing the unknown. The first 6-8 weeks of the new school year will be a jarring and traumatic transition for many families.

The ABSC must commit to working with PTOs, administrators, faculty, staff, and volunteers in a coordinated effort to provide opportunities for increasing familiarity with new campuses, new teachers and staff, and new classmates. This must start ASAP, and would ideally provide opportunities throughout the summer months.

The School Committee will be tasked with leading the effort to select a new district superintendent. We need to ensure this district remains a desirable destination for a varied pool of qualified candidates.

The next superintendent will need to be someone who is the right fit not just for now, but with an eye toward the long-term health and stability of the district.

AB Forward provided some financial relief, but the district continues to face increasing benefit costs, decreasing enrollment, and aging infrastructure.

The School Committee will need to continue seeking out available funding, and working to select a superintendent with experience in grant-writing. We should also work to influence other district committees to focus on ways to encourage thoughtful development of affordable housing to attract young families to the area.

We must support educators and staff by providing them the resources, training, and opportunities for upward mobility to ensure our district finds and retains top educational talent.

Teachers are frequently the most recognizable, most visible, and most trusted people our children interact with other than their immediate families. We rely on the expertise and institutional knowledge of educators and staff who make up the “village” that helps shape the next generation of our vibrant community. We must treat them as such.

This is not only a sound, long-term financial investment in our children; it will provide much-needed relief to families across the district who are struggling to balance their careers, their children’s well-being, and their checkbooks.

This goal is achievable as long as we elect School Committee members who can drive effective budget negotiations and realistic trade-offs.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not at odds with academic excellence - they’re essential to sustaining it. We need to educate residents on the true definition of DEI: that it includes but is not limited to students with disabilities, those who are economically disadvantaged, and those who are neurodivergent. We cannot celebrate our similarities and differences if we minimize the perspective of others.

We have a responsibility to ensure every student has access to a high-quality education and the opportunity to succeed. That means acknowledging that biases can exist and working thoughtfully to address them - not to divide people, but to ensure no student is left behind because their challenges seem too difficult to solve.

Simply put, if we are going to retain holidays like Christmas and Good Friday, we need to respect and recognize holidays like Eid, Yom Kippur, and Lunar New Year.

Living in a diverse and vibrant community means making space for the traditions that matter to our neighbors.

That said, while we’re respecting those traditions, we should look for ways to make childcare and scheduling during those observances easier for families. We need to work with local schools and organizations to ensure additional childcare coverage options are available for as many families as possible.