Saturday, October 4, 2008

Become informed about the LHS Building Project

The Longmeadow School Building Committee is committed to providing the residents of our town with the information about LHS to make an informed decision. All residents are cordially invited to attend a tour and or public forum about the high school. Please read below:

This your opportunity to LISTEN, LEARN and ASK QUESTIONS! So please join the School Building Committee at one or more of these events! Now is the time to get involved!

The School Building Committee is committed to educating our Longmeadow Residents about the High School Building Project. In order to be an informed voter at the Town Meeting and on Election Day, the School Building Committee is asking for residents to attend one (if not both) of the following activities:

Tour the High School; See first hand the learning environment our children experience everyday.

When: October 18th
Two tours are scheduled/11:30am and 3:00pm

Where: Tours will begin at the front entrance of the school

How Long: Tours will last about 1 hour followed by a 30 minute gathering to answer questions.

Attend a Public Forum; Listen to members of the Building Committee discuss the project and ask them questions.

When: October 14th at 9:00am OR October 22nd at 7:00pm

Where: The October 14th Public Forum will take place in the High School Auditorium
The October 22nd Public Forum will be held in the Business/Technology Center (BTC) at the High School. (Directions to the BTC will be posted inside the school)

How Long: Each forum will consist of a 20 minute presentation followed by a 40 minute public discussion

Why is the School Building Committee scheduling these activities:

Fall town meeting will be held on October 28th at 7:00pm in the High School Auditorium.

This is a VERY IMPORTANT meeting for all residents who are concerned about the condition and future of the High School. There will be a warrant article to appropriate the funds needed to begin the study of a long term solution for the high school building.

If the warrant article passes at Town Meeting then we must turn our attention to November 4th. On the ballot there will be a debt exclusion question to raise the funds needed for the high school study. So please note that if the warrant passes at Town Meeting that does not mean we have the funds, it only means that we may use the funds if they are approved on November 4th.

If the warrant article fails at Town Meeting then the November ballot question is null and void and we do not have the choice to raise funds on that date. The Select Board will need to decide if they wish to hold a special town meeting and special election to raise the high school funding option to the town again. This second go around is not guaranteed and costs the tax payers money.

We simply cannot let this unique opportunity pass us by. If so, we will be giving up potentially millions of dollars in state reimbursement. Now is the time to get involved!