Support Our Schools

In a letter to Robert Krol, Principal of the Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School, received 4/29/08, NEASC informed him that the commission had decided to place the “school on warning for concerns regarding its adherence to the Commission’s Standards for Accreditation on Curriculum and Community Resources for Learning.” The letter went on to say:

“The concerns prompting the warning status include:

Curriculum:

• the elimination of seventeen sections of regular education course offerings
• the reduction of three F.T.E. teaching positions
• the increase in class sizes, especially in science course/labs
• the lack of any line-item monies in the operating budget to support professional development programs which have been funded through grants, contributions, and per pupil expenditures
• the limited level of budgetary funding to support the school’s current technology plan which is being revised
• the institution of a 100% user fee for all athletic programs ranging from $325 to $1524 per sport which in the Commission’s view may, in fact, be limiting students’ equitable access to a component of the school’s curricular offerings

Community Resources for Learning:

• The inadequate level of funding to support the school’s staffing levels, course offerings, co-curricular activities, and technology resources and equipment as evidenced by the following:
  • The number of years in which the budget has been level-funded
  • The reduction of a .5 F.T.E. custodial position
  • The lack of funding to upgrade the auditorium, including the electrical system, and replace student lockers through a phased process for which requests have been made in previous fiscal year budgets
  • The reliance on private funding and contributions to supplement the operating budget”

The letter went on to remind school officials that “the required Two-Year Progress Report is due October 1, 2008″ with additional instructions. Click to view a PDF copy of the letter.