April 4, 2008

Dear Parent/Guardian and Community Members:

As I set my pen to this forum for the last time, I do so with mixed emotions. It has always been a privilege, and I have been honored to work with you to design and build a school system for not only today, but for many tomorrows.

When I signed on to be your Superintendent, there were about 1,100 students attending your schools. Kindergarten, grade 1 and half of grade 2 were in the Winslow School. The Lakeview School, now the Early Childhood Center, served the balance of grade 2 and all of grades 3-5. Grades 6-12 were housed in the present day Middle School. Wang was the other major employer in town, and the Superintendent’s office was in the Wang Institute building, now the Boston University building on Old Tyng Road. There were no computers in the Superintendent’s office or the classrooms. We purchased our first instructional computer at Sears with a grant for underfunded school systems.

During my first few years, I was told repeatedly that Tyngsborough students were not smart enough to do calculus and there was no need for AP courses at Tyngsborough High School. Times have changed and so have your school system and the community. Of the 78 students graduating in 1988, a little more than 50% went on to college. Today, 90-93% of your graduates are attending college or pursuing post-secondary training.

As a community, we have come far, but much more still needs to be done. The continuing fiscal crisis is eroding your children’s schools and the value of your homes. We must stand together, and like the generations before us, look ahead and make decisions not for ourselves, but for the generations to come.

I wish you all the best and thank you for the honor of serving as your Superintendent for all these years.

Sincerely,

David J. Hawkins
Superintendent of Schools