I have been following the middle school project closely, after first getting involved in 2019. Reading the coverage in this paper and hearing the negative comments from some residents, you would think those on the Middle School Building Committee are novices. This could not be further from the truth. For 3+ years, Concord residents have been fortunate to have these 20 members of our community give thousands of hours toward this effort. The committee is chaired by Dawn Guarriello and Pat Nelson. Dawn is accomplished in her field as a highly collaborative architect with over 20 years of experience designing educational facilities, and Pat has over 20 years of experience in non-profit education management.
The entire Middle School Building Committee deserves our thanks and respect, having given endless hours of expertise and time. They have ensured that this process included a significant number of opportunities for residents of Concord to engage, and many have. The feedback from involved Concordians has shaped the design in important ways to ensure that it will meet the needs of the students and the community.
Now, after three years of intense work, many who did not get involved are attacking the project at the last minute. It is easy to poke holes and find something to criticize, but doing so at this late stage is counterproductive.
We can’t afford to delay this project any longer. To think that we can simply start over, redesign it and still meet the objectives, and that doing so will somehow cost us less money is not in line with reality.
Our kids deserve a quality educational experience that meets this moment. Vote YES on February 16, and please thank those who have worked so hard on this, for so long.
Lynda Ferrari
Damon Street