I moved here four years ago after a 30-year career in public health in Connecticut. I was welcomed to Buckland by my neighbors and I have been impressed by the spirit of love and support that this region has for children and the environment.
Schools are part of that environment and that is why I pursued the opportunity to give back to the community by participating as a member of the School Committee. Today, our educational environment is beset by perhaps the greatest challenges in the history of our District. The pandemic and the attendant economic, educational and political crisis we face must somehow yet unite us to do what is best for our kids. Whether we are guided by the state to return to school in the fall, or if we should continue to practice remote learning for some of our students, we must accept the challenge to do so together.
I recognize that our District has been divided over the past three years by issues around our mascot, our curriculum, and our past superintendent. But I also recognize the depth of the commitment of our community, of our staff, and my colleagues on the School Committee to do the right thing for our students. Enrollments are declining in rural school districts like ours. Competition from private schools, charter schools, and trade schools needs to be addressed in order to sustain and grow our enrollment at Mohawk Trail. And the state needs to remember that Districts west of the Connecticut River also have needs that must be funded.
I believe that we will succeed. But only if we all listen to, as Lincoln said, “the better angels of our nature.”
David Parrella
Buckland Candidate for School Committee, Mohawk Trail Regional School District