April 26, 2012

Dear O’'Maley School Site Base Council members, PTO Members and parents/guardians,

In the tradition of reaching out to the school community for input before making major decisions, the district is conducting a survey on the status of the Fuller School.  This survey, which takes less than 5 minutes to complete, is live until Friday May 4, 2012. It can be accessed through a link posted on the Gloucester Public School district website, www.gloucesterschools.com .

Prior to filling out the survey, we encourage you to review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the Fuller School that was developed and approved by our Committee on April 4, 2012.  This document can also be reviewed on our website.

Why does this decision require immediate attention from the Gloucester School Committee? On January 25, 2012, Mayor Kirk officially requested that the committee consider declaring the Fuller School surplus. The building is presently underused.  It houses the preschool program, and the transportation and administrative offices.  The rest of the building is unoccupied.  The question our committee must answer is whether the building is needed by the school district for future educational use.  If the building is declared surplus, our Committee would be reaffirming its commitment to local, smaller elementary schools.  If and when the building is declared surplus, the city will decide its future use.

The school committee is reaching out to members of the public, including the O’'Maley School Community, so that interested parties have an opportunity to express their views.  Input generated from this survey will be used, along with data from a number of other sources to help the Gloucester School Committee make an informed decision.

On behalf of the Committee, thanks in advance for participating in this survey.

Sincerely,

Val Gilman

Gloucester School Committee Vice Chair/O’'Maley Liasion

Roger Garberg

Gloucester School Committee Member/O’'Maley Liasion

Cc: Principal Debra Lucey