Dear Editor:

I think our school superintendent may have forgotten his stated goal to “be transparent about finances, meetings and initiatives.”

He has most recently neglected to keep the public, the media, and our school board informed about the trustees’ commissioning and bid process of his “Master Plan,” something that could potentially shape the future of Boothbay Region’s schools through at least 2035.

This comes after his clumsy navigation through last spring’s budget process, during which he created needless controversies and ill will with parents and faculty alike because of his communication lapses. And there are still lingering questions about whether the proper process was followed behind closed doors when he hired our new BRES principal.

So why is the superintendent not communicating better and being more transparent to us all? And what else might be happening beyond the public’s eye that he may not be telling us about?

He reminds me of Jack Nicholson’s “A Few Good Men” character in regard to how he handles transparency and his ongoing duties.

This superintendent’s voice should not be the loudest one during this upcoming, far-reaching process. Instead, the goal to formulate any long-term plan regarding the future of our schools should heavily involve both locally-elected boards, parents, students and faculty.

As a wise man once told me: “All of us are smarter than one of us.” And all of us have a deep, permanent, vested interest in the future of our schools. I’m not entirely certain the “one of us” does.

Tom Perkins

Boothbay Harbor