Easier said than done – School Department move will require a huge commitment

In a school department/town issue that will not have any impact on the accreditation process, the administration offices will move from their current location at the EB Newton School to another location in the town.

The matter was briefly addressed at the Town Council meeting Tuesday night.

The town manager noted in his report that efforts are in progress to perhaps move the school department offices to Town Hall. But if we may use a hockey analogy, the town has yet to cross center ice as it seeks to find a new home for the school department.

The relocation of the offices, we think, is a very important and time-consuming matter and perhaps the town manager should consider appointing a special designee to oversee the process, preferably someone with building, space management, and interior design experience on his/her resume.

And then there is the still unresolved issue of whether all of Town Hall’s offices will be open on Fridays (there has been some movement toward restoring Fridays to the business schedule) and whether there will be a specific entrance for people who want to visit the School Department on Fridays.

Of course, just looking at the set-up of the new offices, it’s essential that the Superintendent of Schools have a private office where he can meet with parents or other visitors to discuss issues. With the deadline looming for the move, it’s definitely a matter that needs full attention from our town and school officials.