WILMINGTON, MA — At last night’s meeting, the Wilmington School Committee formally voted to oppose State Ballot Question #2, which attempts to lift the cap on charter schools in Massachusetts.
The School Committee unanimously voted in favor of a resolution against lifting the cap on Commonwealth Charter Schools.
The resolution reads:
WHEREAS, free public schools available to all students regardless of income, ability, need or English language proficiency are foundational to our democracy; and
WHEREAS, all of our students deserve high‐quality public schools that teach the whole child, providing enrichment and addressing social and emotional needs in addition to core academic subjects; and
WHEREAS, local accountability for our public schools is necessary to ensure that schools are responsive to the needs of their communities; and
WHEREAS, Wilmington Public School District is losing $80,686.00 to Commonwealth charter schools and public school districts across the state are losing more than $450 million this year alone — a loss of funds that is undermining the ability of districts to provide all students with the educational services to which they are entitled; and
WHEREAS, Commonwealth charter schools are often approved over the objections of a majority of community residents and their elected officials and are not accountable to local elected officials once they are approved; and
WHEREAS, Commonwealth charter schools often fail to serve the same proportion of special needs students, low‐income students and English language learners as the districts from which they receive students and often use high suspension rates to drive out students they don’t want to serve; and
WHEREAS, the Commonwealth charter school system is creating separate and unequal opportunities for success; and
WHEREAS, lifting the cap on charter schools would greatly worsen the problems listed above and lead to a costly and divisive two‐track school system;
THEREFORE, be it resolved that the Wilmington School Committee opposes lifting the cap on Commonwealth charter schools.
“I strongly urge the community to consider voting No on 2,” added School Committee member MJ Byrnes. “Charter schools threaten our ability to support our students — ALL our students.”
School Committee member Peggy Kane encouraged residents to visit the Massachusetts Teacher Association’s website to learn more about the ballot question’s effect on public schools.
“We need every bit of the money we’re given from the state,” stressed Kane. “I don’t know what people are thinking! Taking money from our community to give to charters that aren’t even required to take every student. Public schools take everybody. We do our best to make sure every child, from every background, gets what they need.”
A handful of Wilmington teachers were in the audience wearing what appeared to be “Vote No On 2” stickers.
The Wilmington Teachers’ Association welcomed the news on its Twitter account:
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