Swampscott school communication debate continues

SWAMPSCOTT – School officials said Wednesday night they are seeking “open and transparent” communication within the district and between the district and community, debating proposed revisions to a district communications policy, a new district publication and subcommittees to continue developing communication goals.”We wanted to establish a more structural way for people to speak to us and the district,” School Committee Member Rick Kraft said of the proposed revisions to the communications policy. “We want to make sure we’re responsive as we can be to community and that we meet the needs of the district.”School Committee Member Laurier Beaupre said their revisions incorporated feedback from “difficult situations in the past year” when the district had to balance issues of employee confidentiality or an ongoing investigation with a wish to inform parents and the community about events.The policy codifies guidelines for school employees to respond to questions from the public. It also authorizes an advisory committee to consult with school officials about communicating with the Swampscott community. Superintendent Lynne Celli had earlier noted a new advisory committee of teachers and staff that were discussing improving communications among and within the schools.Celli said the inaugural issue of the Swampscott Educator was one effort to better communicate with town citizens. She said the first edition of the eight-page newspaper “highlighting teachers and students” at the schools went to 6,800 households with the Swampscott Reporter. She said that this informed the majority of households in Swampscott that didn’t have children in the schools – up to 75 percent – about programs and events.She said after the meeting that she didn’t have immediate figures of how much it cost, but it was funded through the operating budget and a grant. Celli said another edition is planned just before summer.Cyrus Moulton can be reached at [email protected].