In a posting on his personal Facebook page late Friday night, Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board Vice President John DeLucia wrote that he “made a mistake” Monday night in voting on the school calendar issue. “I apologize for that mistake and am looking forward to the opportunity to fix it next Wednesday night,” wrote DeLucia.
He was one of the yes votes in a 4-3 HSE Board vote to add 2 days to the start of the next two school years and add 2 days off at Thanksgiving, providing a week-long Thanksgiving break. If DeLucia switches his vote, and all other 6 board members vote the same, the outcome would be different, with the school calendar in the coming two years remaining roughly the same as the current school year.
In that Facebook posting, DeLucia goes into some detail to explain why he cast his vote on Monday night. He points out that, with arguments about the scientific value of the survey conducted by school administrators aside, 33% voted to support the recommendation from Superintendent Allen Bourff to keep the calendar about the way it stands now, but 30% voted for the week-long Thanksgiving break and earlier school start date in August.
Delucia argues none of the 5 options had a majority, and the community was closely split on the options receiving the top two votes. He wrote that the vote also clearly shows there is not much support for a balanced school calendar in the HSE school community.
The decision to support the calendar option that passed Monday night was a move to enact a calendar at that time, DeLucia wrote, and that a compromise was required to pass any calendar Monday night. His vote was an attempt to reach that compromise, which DeLucia now describes as a mistake on his part.
“I have learned a great deal about how significant these 2 days are for many of our teachers, students and families” DeLucia wrote. “A full week the first week of school for the early grades is really long and burdensome. Finding childcare 2 more days during Thanksgiving week is a burden for working families. Starting on Wednesday allows for teachers to start on Monday. Starting on Monday makes teachers start the week prior. Some of these points were brought up Monday night. Again, I leaned on it only being 2 days AND the desire to make a decision. I thought if we delayed, we’d wait another month, irritate even more people, and end up the same place we were. Let’s bite the bullet and make a decision. 2 days. Again, I was wrong.”
The board vice president, as part of his Facebook post, reflected on the state of discourse when members of the community disagree with a board decision.
“Maybe before you hop on social media with a venomous post, learn a little more about what has gone on,” according to DeLucia . “How about coming to a meeting and speaking on an agenda item? How about a phone call? I can’t say I’ve replied to every email I’ve received, but I try to. I have returned every phone call I’ve received related to school matters.”
HSE School Board President Matt Burke has called a special meeting for Wednesday, November 29th, 7pm, at the school administration building on Cumberland Road. The only item on the agenda is reconsideration of the school calendar vote. With John DeLucia’s Facebook post, it is very possible this vote will end in a different result.
You can read John DeLucia’s entire Facebook post at this link.
In a podcast interview with me recorded November 23rd, 2016, John DeLucia said he definitely would not seek a third term on the school board. You can listen to that entire podcast at this link.