Project P.R.I.D.E.-new Avery School

Logo by Peter H. Reynolds

I spent this rainy, cold Sunday morning at a very important meeting to kick off the "Friends of Avery School" coalition.  These are a group of people who love Dedham that want to see a new Avery School built.  Yes, I'm a bit biased as I live in the Avery district, but as a fan of this town, I'm for all things that make it better. For those of you who are reading this and rolling your eyes and asking yourselves why should you spend what's the equivalent of a large latte per month, on a new school that your children won't be able to attend, listen  up.   The P.R.I.D.E stands for "Planned Reinvestment In Dedham Education".  It's not just about the education of the Avery students, but the education for all Dedham students as new schools, and this will be the second, will continue to demonstrate what school buildings in Dedham should look like.   On a ranking scale of 1-4 by a State group that looks at school buildings,  Avery was the ONLY school in Dedham to receive a 4, which doesn't just mean "poor".  It stands for something like, "the building is so bad it needs to be condemned."   So if you are a parent in the Greenlodge, Riverdale or Oak Dale districts and are asking yourself why should you vote yes for a new Avery ask yourself these questions:

1. Are my children taking music and art classes in the electric room of the school building?

2. Do my children get off the bus on a busy street?

3. Do my children go to a bathroom in one that resembles one you'd find in a prison?

4. Do my children have to wear their coats in the winter as the heat doesn't always work?

5. Do my children have enough space to walk around their classroom?

6. Does our school lose more than 25% of the class by the end of 5th grade? 

If you answered "no" to any these questions, then what you need to do is clear. $66 dollars per year is not asking a lot.  You need to vote yes for these kids, teachers, but most of all, for our community.