Mayor Morse expresses dissapointment about school vote

Nov. 12, 2019 | G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.com

HOLYOKE – Holyoke officials will meet next week with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) to discuss the future after the decisive outcome of the ballot question about the construction of two new middle schools in the city.

Sixty-four percent of the voters participating in the election on Nov. 5 voted against the question.

On his Facebook page, former City Council president Kevin Jourdain, who was part of a group opposing the debt exclusion measure, said, “We will continue to make sure the voters’ clear mandate is enforced here. We will keep not one eye, but both eyes on this process. Thank you.”

Mayor Alex Morse, state Rep. Aaron Vega, and Superintendent Stephen Zrike, are planning to meet with MSBA officials to discuss “a possible path forward for the construction of new school buildings in the City of Holyoke,” according to a written statement.

Morse released a lengthy statement about the election outcome. He wrote, “I know many folks are disappointed by the results of last night's election in regard to building new middle schools in the city of Holyoke. I am too. It’s also clear that many others are relieved by last night’s outcome. While I worked hard to get where we were last night, I also recognize that the point of a debt exclusion override vote is to ask the voters of Holyoke for their approval to advance a project. The voters have spoken. I want to thank everyone who got involved, who spoke passionately about their position, residents who knocked on doors and made phone calls, people who gave what they can and opened themselves up to criticism and debates. Democracy isn’t a spectator sport. And while we don’t always agree, I’m heartened that people care enough about their city to speak up and ensure their voice is heard.

“The fight for equity – for equal access to good public education – is bigger than Holyoke alone. Issues of systemic poverty and the challenges we face as a consequence are deep-rooted and ever present. In addition, we’ve seen the impact of the chronic underfunding of school districts – both urban and rural – for decades. Given these constraints, we pursued the path we were provided – a path within a system that still fails to fully invest in places like Holyoke and the people we serve. In the wealthiest country on earth, it pains me that we have to fight, often times against each other, in our quest to ensure that all of our students have the educational facilities they deserve. Our kids deserve the same opportunities as kids in the wealthiest parts of this country. This isn’t the case now and we shouldn't accept this as our reality. It's unacceptable.

“It would be easy for me to point fingers at those opposed to last night’s ballot question. I won’t do that. I want to believe that all of us care about Holyoke’s children and Holyoke’s future. And because of my inherent optimism, I hope we can roll up our sleeves and work together to make sure we deliver on our promise to future generations of Holyokers. We have no other choice.

“I want to be clear: the fight to ensure that every student in the Holyoke Public Schools has access to a high-quality education in a safe, state-of-the-art facility is not over. The conditions and reasons that inspired this process still remain. Our high school graduation rate has gone from 49 percent to 72 percent over the last eight years. We’ve gotten closer to providing universal Pre-K, we've created and expanded a popular dual-language program, we’ve reimagined the high school experience and made dual enrollment at local colleges possible, and we’ve partnered with community programs to make sure that every student has a pathway to success. Because of this, more and more families are choosing Holyoke Public Schools as their schools of choice. We must ensure this is the case in the years to come.

“Thank you again for being active participants in our democracy. I look forward to working with Dr. Zrike, our city’s educators, our city councilors and school committee members, and most importantly, all of you, as we chart a new course forward from here.”

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