When is the last day of School in Stamford?

Dear Advocate Editor

I am writing regarding Joe Gonzalez's letter regarding the confusion surrounding when exactly Stamford Public Schools last day actually is and the subsequent article on the same subject.

I must admit that I am terribly disappointed that the only parent quoted in this article is the same Mr. Gonzalez who wrote the original letter. Did the Advocate go to any of the 21 schools in the district to talk to other parents to see if anyone else is confused or worse uninformed about the recent changes to the school calendar? A calendar that was set well over a year ago.

I believe Mr. Gonzalez's original point was that a) the district has moved the closing day twice and b) that those changes have not been well communicated to the community.

Based upon today’s article, it does not seem that the district is concerned about getting this information out, in spite of admitting that the website has had incorrect information. Sarah Arnold, spokesperson for the district says most parents are not confused or frustrated by these changed based upon the amount of complaints that have been called into the central office (and assumingly reported up to her). Is she aware of every single complaint made to the district? Is she aware of every parent that is talking to their respective schools principal about this change?

My fundamental concern is that if some parents are still unaware of when the last day of school is, then how can they complain it has changed? How can they expect others to know, since Mr. Gonzalez found out about these changes at church and not through an official school notification?

The district has a telephone calling system for just this purpose; perhaps it is not too late to call every student’s household to ensure that they are aware of the last day of school. If even one child is sent out on Wednesday morning to wait for a bus or is taken to school then clearly the district has failed to properly and effectively communicate these changes to the community.

Sincerely,

Jeff Herz