In two days (September 10th), Holliston will vote on an override request from the Schools and Town to fund salaries and increased buses. The override is also the final step to confirm a new three-year contract with the HPS teachers and educators. I expect this will be a very close election and take nothing for granted. The Select Board race in May was determined by ONE vote out of over 2,500 cast. Show up and vote!
For me though, this is about more than just the dollars and cents (though I acknowledge those still matter); this is about what the Town wants for the future of our school system and ultimately the quality and reputation of our Town. I firmly believe that we are, at this very moment, at a fork in the road in Holliston:
- One road, passing the override, leads down a path of rebuilding and educational excellence, a path where our educators feel valued and respected and Holliston becomes a place where people seek to work, not just come to work. While compensation is not the only factor in employee satisfaction, it has been found both in business and education that better pay attracts and retains top talent and that the more talented the workforce, the better the outcomes. This path leads us to better outcomes for all; most importantly for our students.
- The second road, rejecting the override, leads down a much different path. This way leads to a significant period of uncertainty for our town, district and educators and a sense that the Town does not support the Schools and its employees. The duration of this period is unknown and the exact manner in which it will play out is similarly unknown. However, what I can say for certain is that this road will have a significantly detrimental impact on the morale of our teachers and result in increased staff turnover, which will ultimately negatively impact the education of our students. Some have called this language fear mongering, but a simple analysis of our retention rates relative to our peers during the last contract dispute proves otherwise. Regardless, I do not personally want to find out.
To be clear, voters are not being asked to sign a contract with the educators’ Union. The Holliston School Committee, as your elected representatives, have already done that. If you think we did a bad job, you can vote us out. However, that’s not what’s on the ballot. We are not debating whether the specific details in the contract meet individuals’ approval (though I have included links below to all the details as voters clearly have a right to know them). What voters are being asked to vote on is for funding for the contract, which requires a holistic view of the agreement. Looking at the ask at 10,000 feet, do you believe that we are better off agreeing to fund our Educator’s contract or not? That is really the only question. This boils down to: Do you believe that for $201 per year (on average) of increased taxes (2.1%) it is worth paying for a 3.6% increase in instructional time per day (more than half a year of increased instruction over a student’s K-12 education)? To me, as biased as I may be, this is absolutely a no brainer. Forget the rest of the details, this detail alone makes this an incredible opportunity for the Town.
At the end of the day, voters will decide (and over 2,000 of you already have cast your ballots) what you value as individuals to determine what Holliston values as a community. There are always excuses people can come up with for voting against tax increases. No one wants to pay more for something if they don’t need to, myself included. But this is about more than just the cost. This is about Holliston as a whole and the future. I am grateful for the sense of community I feel when hearing from senior citizens who voice support for the override because they appreciate the education their own children received growing up in Holliston. Holliston voters value and support our educators but also seek improvements for our schools and that is what Tuesday’s vote is about.
So, when you go to the polls on Tuesday, please keep all of this in mind and put aside the debates about the fine print. The HSC debated the fine print with the HFT because that’s our role, and we have pledged to work with the administration and union to ensure the contract — and the promises made surrounding this override— are implemented properly and, where appropriate, with further involvement from the community. Let’s not let the noise impact the future of the Holliston Public Schools and the community. Please vote YES!!
Sincerely,
Daniel Alfred
(speaking as an individual)
Links:
Most Recent HSC FAQ (9/6/24): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XR0WP6z-9gg4ZDwQdEwFmfziZtqjuql8/view
General HSC Override Information Page: https://www.holliston.k12.ma.us/special-election-override
Town of Holliston Page: https://www.townofholliston.us/home/news/upcoming-elections-information
HCAT Just Thinking Interview: https://youtu.be/N-jEqqoFyzM?feature=shared
Mary Greendale Holliston Reporter Article: https://hollistonreporter.com/schools-need-additional-money-for-2024-2025-year/
