Dear SPS Families:
I write to thank everyone for their patience and support last week. The impact of the storm was felt by everyone in the community. The storm ramped up quickly and surprised us all leaving most without power by mid-morning on Wednesday. Please know that I am always reluctant to close the schools and will only do so for safety reasons when it is clear that students and staff would be in danger if school was allowed to remain open. Once I received confirmation that all schools would have power on Friday, it was important to open so that our students could get back into the routine and have a safe, warm, environment with breakfast and lunch available.
Driving through town on Wednesday morning and again on Thursday afternoon, I was concerned about falling trees, electric lines on the road, debris on the walkways and entrances to the schools, as well as lack of road access to the Dawe. Throughout the two days of closure and well into Friday morning, our own maintenance/custodial staff and Town of Stoughton DPW did a tremendous job getting everything back in shape for Friday. I visited all of the schools during the day on Friday and was pleased to see clear access to the schools and an enthusiastic spirit from all of the students. They were all happy to be back in school. Seeing everyone settled into class, warm, and fed, was all the motivation I needed on Friday.
As we begin November and head toward colder weather, I am mindful of the impact of any days off in the future. Please rest assured that I will be watching the weather closely throughout the winter and am in constant contact with school and town leadership during these times to make decisions in the best interest of everyone. I am also aware that storms such as these can put pressure on a family in ways that aren’t always easy to see. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your school principal if there is anything we can do to assist your family as they recover from the storm.
Sincerely,
Dr. Thomas R. Raab
Superintendent of Schools