Sparta Board of Education held its first ‘town hall meeting'

Citizens gathered for a productive question and answer session , By Fran Hardy Sparta — The first in what the Sparta Board of Education hopes will be a series of “town hall meetings,” was held last Saturday, Feb. 24, at Mohawk Avenue School. A sparse, but eager group of at least 15 citizens were in attendance, along with seven of the nine school board members, District Superintendent Dr. Thomas J. Morton, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Dr. Kathleen Monks, and director of Secondary Education, Daniel Sutherland. Citizens were asked to submit questions beforehand via the phone information line or e-mail so that board members and administrators could research and prepare answers. This allowed for detailed answers complete with PowerPoint presentations. Sutherland served as moderator for the meeting. At least 20 questions had been submitted ahead of time and ran the gamut from the high school reconstruction, to academics, to the Helen Morgan lice problem. One resident who went to the meeting specifically to follow up on the lice issue raised at the Feb. 12 board meeting was Charlene O’Sullivan. She said she was very satisfied with the thoughtful and well-researched response she received about her concerns. She feels the board is taking the lice issue seriously and will continue to examine options. “This type of meeting was a great way to communicate with the town. It was much less intimidating than speaking at a regular board meeting. It was very informative and a great many questions were answered clearly and to the point.” She added, “I look forward to the next town meeting.” Board president Michael Schiavoni said the board hopes to host another meeting in this format sometime before the end of the school year. Schiavoni, pleased with Saturday’s meeting, said, “The board has made a commitment to increase communication with residents this year, and I think we’ve made a good start.” The school board’s efforts toward more effective communication include a monthly newsletter, the “Meet the Professionals” evening on Feb. 8 (more of these will be scheduled as the high school project progresses), and Saturday’s “town hall meeting,” which was the first of several that are planned. The board will also begin posting their committee minutes on the district’s Web site, Sparta.org, by the Friday before a regularly scheduled Monday meeting. Schiavoni’s message to residents about the next town hall meeting: “Come, and bring a friend.”