Process can be boring until it goes wrong. Over the course of this month, I’ve noticed a disturbing discrepancy. The Finance Committee meetings for the Police, Fire, and DPW had a tight format that allowed them to shine. The meeting for the Schools on the other hand, had a nonspecific agenda.

I believe fairness is structural. When one department walks into a meeting knowing exactly what to present, and another walks in blind, the outcomes will be skewed. The loose format of the school meeting created a false impression among some that our School Committee and Superintendent were “unprepared” and made an “unconvincing case” compared to town counterparts.

That’s why I sent this letter to the Finance Committee to note the discrepancy:

This wasn’t about making excuses (in fact Dr. Klingaman made a persuasive case for the school department). It was about correcting an improvisational start to the budget hearings. If we want the community to trust our budget, the school department must be given the same opportunity to succeed as every other department.

Fairness, in my view, is about ensuring the public gets an accurate picture of our district’s competence. I will always advocate for a level playing field for our schools.

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Note: The views and opinions expressed here are my own and do not reflect the official policies, positions, or endorsements of the Duxbury School Committee. For official information about Duxbury Public Schools and the Duxbury School Committee, please visit duxbury.k12.ma.us.