I had a conversation with a Newburyport School Committee member about my complete confusion about what is going on.

One of the things I was told was the Newburyport Elementary School Needs Report would be completely off the table. With the refiguring of the Newburyport Kindergarten and the Newburyport Elementary Schools, building new elementary schools would no longer be necessary.

Let me tell you, if this is true, this is big news to me, and I would imagine it would be big news to most folks.

That means, if this conversation is valid, the Taj Mahal approach to our Newburyport Elementary Schools Needs is no longer an issue, and would NOT be something that the residents of Newburyport, MA would be asked to vote for. (ie NOT be asked ever to vote for a 30 million plus spanking new elementary school system. Repairs, most definitely needed, new school, maybe not?)

The Elementary School Needs report is still on the City of Newburyport Schools website, so it doesn’t sound like this one is exactly official. But if it is being considered, this is something the voters would definitely like to know about, pronto.

One of my other (of many) inquiries was whether the Newburyport School Committee was supporting Newburyport Superintendent Kevin Lyons and his refiguring of the Kindergarten and Newburyport Elementary Schools. The answer was “yes.” And the Newburyport School Committee would be taking a vote on that plan soon.

Also big news to me. And I think big news to most folks.

There was also a conversation about selling the Kelly School and putting that money into a trust, to be used for improvements to the Newburyport school system. In theory, other people and organizations could also add to that trust. (Wouldn’t that be nice. I’d love that one.)

And there was also a discussion about no longer needing the Cherry Hill property. And now having the option of selling that property and adding it to the theoretical trust.

Really big news on that one.

All of this sounded rational, organized and sane. I hope that it is all true.

If any of this information could be true, it would be my wish for the Newburyport School Committee to “communicate” this. Because I most certainly have been very confused. First asking for a Taj Mahal approach to our elementary schools, a very short while ago, and then asking for an override vote for capital expenditures, and no vote yet on Superintendent Kevin Lyon’s restructuring plan.

May rational thought rule. And could any of this be true, may we all be informed of this “new” agenda.

(And as a PS… I’ve now started to monitor my phone calls again, after a happy, but brief “no monitoring” period, until this whole school override, restructuring thing is resolved. Otherwise I’d be on the phone 24/7 with various and sundry “trying to set me straight.” An emotional issue.

My condolences to the Newburyport School Committee members, the Newburyport City Council and the Mayor. They don’t get the “blogger privilege” of the “call monitoring” thing. But then they ran for office.)

Mary Eaton
Newburyport