I am writing in response to this week’s school committee meeting, which left many in our community feeling deeply disappointed and, frankly, unsettled. My concerns are twofold: first, the committee’s decision-making process regarding the relocation of fifth grade, and second, the conduct of committee leadership at the close of that meeting.
Earlier this week, the school committee voted 4–3 to move fifth-grade students from Thompson Middle School to Pell Elementary School. While I personally can live with this change, I find the process by which this decision was made profoundly discouraging. I served on the district’s fifth-grade working group, alongside educators, administrators, and parents, and invested significant time reviewing research, meeting with a Tufts University education professor, and carefully examining potential benefits and risks. Our conclusion was clear: there is no compelling evidence that this move would benefit students, and there are meaningful risks that warrant caution. We communicated these findings transparently and in good faith.
At the committee meeting, teachers, administrators, parents, and an eloquent middle school student spoke thoughtfully and passionately about why fifth grade should remain at Thompson and why our collective energy might be better directed elsewhere. Not a single constituent spoke in favor of the move. And yet, despite overwhelming community input, a majority of the committee voted to proceed anyway.
This raises a fundamental question: what is the purpose of civic engagement if the voices of those most affected—educators, families, and students—are so readily disregarded? Community members showed up, did the work, and participated in the process as asked. When elected officials choose to prioritize a narrow agenda over the expressed will and well-being of the community they represent, it erodes trust and discourages future engagement. That is a loss for all of us.
As troubling as this decision was, the manner in which the meeting concluded was even more alarming. As captured on video, one committee member, while still on microphone, stated, “Next time I’ll bring my gun with me…I have a license to carry.” This comment was made on school grounds and appeared to be in response to an agitated member of the public.
We are in January 2026, in a state and a nation grappling with the very real consequences of gun violence, including recent, highly public tragedies. In our schools, if a student were to make a statement like this the response would be immediate and serious: law enforcement involvement, a threat or risk assessment, and disciplinary action. That is the standard we apply to children, rightly so, in order to keep school communities safe.
This was not a child. This was an adult entrusted with governing our schools. The remark was reckless, inappropriate, and entirely incompatible with the responsibility of public office. It deserves more than dismissal or silence. It demands accountability.
Equally concerning was the response of the committee chair, who followed this incident by saying, “Why the hell are we doing this anyway?” This flippant comment, coming from the individual charged with leading the committee and setting the tone for respectful governance, conveyed a startling disregard for the community, the process, and the seriousness of what had just occurred.
Our school committee members hold positions of public trust. Their words and actions matter—especially in emotionally charged moments and especially on school property. Our community deserves leadership that listens, represents, and acts with care and professionalism. We deserve decision-making processes that honor civic participation, and we deserve school governance that prioritizes safety, respect, and accountability.
Sincerely,
Liz Barron
Newport RI
