The Commonwealth’s MSBA approved 41.25 per cent funding for the proposed new Tisbury School. This will be the only chance for funding assistance for many years to come.

I served on the Tisbury School Committee for almost a decade and have 42 years as a public school administrator and a special education specialist with the MA Department of Education (DESE). I recall meetings with former principals Alan Campbell and Maureen DeLoach, who struggled to meet the needs of students and staff while dealing with the physical issues of the building on a daily basis. We all know the building has problems including inadequate classroom and programmatic space, inconsistent heating and A/C, leaking roof, and more. Students, teachers, therapists, classroom assistants, counselors, food service staff, office staff, custodians and principals have all experienced the building’s troubling issues. For years, taxpayer’s money was spent on building band-aides.

The current building is also as accessible as it can be. However individuals who cannot negotiate stairs are not able enter the main entrance to the school and are relegated to use side entrances. How welcoming is this? When our school was built in 1929 the general population, and architects in particular, did not fully consider the issue of accessibility. The main entrances to all other Island schools are fully accessible.

President Johnson signed the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 into law. It characterized barriers to access as a “failure on the part of government that perpetuated ‘cruel discrimination’.” In 1990, the American Disabilities Act was signed by President Bush, creating the nations first “comprehensive civil rights law addressing the needs of people with disabilities and prohibiting discrimination in employment, public services, public accommodations and telecommunications.”

Massachusetts has always been a national leader in school civil rights legislation and practice. Some of these regulations also necessitate specific curriculum as well as classroom space requirements.

For the voters who haven’t closely observed current school curriculum requirements, here’s some of what must be provided: English/language arts, math, history/social science, science/technology, digital literacy and computer science, music, art, physical education, library/media, foreign language, comprehensive health, English language proficiency, pre-vocational, special education, speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, psychological services, counseling, and more.

The proposed building plan provides the required space in an inclusive, safe and secure school.

I congratulate the school and building committees for years of dedicated study of all the educational issues and physical requirements to implement required curriculum K-8, while preserving the positive school culture. Special kudos to John Custer for leading the exploration on how to meet students’ needs for decades to come. The building study also shows that it is less expensive, less disruptive, and more efficient to build a new school, rather than once again apply another band-aide to the 1929 building. I understand sentimental attachments to the old school building. Nostalgia is fine, but we can do a lot better.

I recognize that the project is expensive. Although I am on a fixed retirement income, I will vote to approve the local funding for the new Tisbury School. I hope you do as well.

Ralph Friedman

Vineyard Haven