As the Chair of the Fairhaven School Committee (SC), I have stayed out of the recall. I felt it was inappropriate given my role. Unfortunately, due to the climate in town, I feel I have no choice but to say something.
Fairhaven taxpayers may agree or disagree with how the SC expends funds. MGL Chapter 37 gives SCs the sole authority to determine how their budget is spent. SC members are elected to be stewards of those funds. Budget and funding discussions are held at public meetings where public comment is always taken. This was especially the case this year due to the extraordinary circumstances with COVID-19.
The Fairhaven SC wants to provide the best facilities for our students. We have done this by advocating for two new elementary schools, rehabbing Fairhven High School with window restoration, technology upgrades, the restoration of Room 7, installing a state of the art lighting system in the Performing Arts Center, and new windows, doors, roof, and tiles at the middle school. We feel that our students deserve the same facilities as nearby communities. Most currently have turf fields. GNBVT has two!
In addition, Fairhaven has an amazing school district that has received several accolades. Our Superintendent has recently received several prestigious awards. FHS earned high national and metro-area rankings in the 2021 Best High Schools (US News and World Report).
The bottom line is there is an election happening and most of what is being said is political noise generated from the incompetence and lack of leadership at Town Hall. The same people that are throwing rocks are the same people that criticize the condition of our facilities/fields. Some questioned the process taken by our contractors. They have used leaked and false information all of which is wrong or incomplete.
We hired some of the best contractors in the business and they are unfortunately being treated just like the firm that was hired for the TA search. This is the Fairhaven we live in right now. It is an environment created by a leadership vacuum. It is an environment created by Dan Freitas. When he doesn’t like something, he uses his bully pulpit, sends messages to try and intimidate, or he has his political goon squad attack.
I will not apologize for the decisions I have made. I will not be bullied or intimidated. I can say with pride that I have never lied and that the 1000’s of hours I have given to my town have been with dignity and respect. If the people feel that I made wrong decisions for our schools, they can speak at the ballot box. I am fine with this as it is the right of the people. Regardless of what my future holds, one thing I know is that Dan Freitas is bad for Fairhaven. We must move beyond middle school behavior and bully tactics that have become commonplace. We must hire the best TA for our town, not one that will be his puppet. Recall Dan Freitas!
Brian Monroe, Fairhaven School Committee Chair
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