Southbridge Schools: What Next?

Ken O'Brien

The Worcester Telegram has described the recently issued report on the Southbridge school district as “scathing”.

Anybody who read the report on this site two days in advance of the Telegram article didn’t need to be told that.

What we did get from the Telegram article was a repetition of the views of Southbridge School Committee Chairman Scott Lazo. He summed up his comments by saying, “…we are ready to correct a five-year mess.”

His comments have been echoed in the past by former Chairman of the Committee, Jack Jovan.

As the report makes eminently clear, the problems go back to 2004 when the district was first declared underperforming. Trying to limit it to the last five years is grossly unrealistic.

A State Takeover Of Southbridge Schools?

Ken O’Brien

In light of recent developments a number of people have suggested that it is time for the Southbridge School District to go into state receivership.

I am not convinced that this is a good idea.

I fear that it may be a hasty, knee-jerk overreaction to unfortunate but correctable personnel decisions as well as the concurrence of those issues with a period of transition and realignment.