SCHOOL FOR THOUGHT

Dateline: New London, CT

Six of the seven candidates (the other did not appear) for the Stonington Board of Education say they want to reach out to skeptical voters in an effort to prevent cuts to the board’s budget. As is common in Ontario, these would-be trustees view their role as that of representing the school board to the community - as opposed to representing the community to the school board. Yet the very existence of school board trustees is frequently justified on the grounds that they keep the system democratic and responsive. Unfortunately, it is very common for trustees to be co-opted by board staff once they have been in place for a while. However, trustees who have been co-opted even before they are elected take co-option to a new level and remove any pretence of democratic representation.

More than 100 companies submitted bids for the $42 million Kelly Middle School renovation and expansion project. The money will buy a two-story 12-classroom wing, a hallway to connect it to the existing building, and an 800-seat auditorium. Why on earth would there be so much interest in this project?