By Adam Swift
One city councillor wants answers from the school department about why it will not honor a council vote to dedicate a memorial at the Lincoln School.
Last month, the city council unanimously approved a motion asking that the new Early Childhood playground at the Lincoln School be dedicated to the memory of Chris Chavarria.
Chavarria is a former Lincoln School student who battled leukemia.
The Lincoln School is being renovated to house a new early childhood center for the city, as well as a new regional E911 communications center and some city office space.
But Ward 3 Councillor Anthony Cogliandro said the school administration will not be dedicating a memorial plaque at the renovated school to Chavarria.
At Monday night’s council meeting, Cogliandro introduced a motion requesting that the city and school administrations “provide the City Council with a comprehensive written report detailing the jurisdictional responsibilities over school property, including the areas and matters under the control of the City, the areas and matters under the control of the School Department, and any other departments or entities that hold jurisdiction or authority over school property.”
During a discussion at a school committee meeting earlier this year regarding a separate proposal for a bench dedicated to a longtime school volunteer, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Dianne Kelly raised concerns the school committee has had in the past when allowing memorials on school property, including the potential proliferation of memorials and the message it would send to students.
“As we all know, we voted unanimously at the last meeting to place a memorial plaque at the new Early Childhood Education playground at the Lincoln School,” said Cogliandro. “It was voted unanimously, and then it was turned down by the superintendent, pretty much saying we didn’t have the purview to vote this in.”
Cogliandro said he was very upset that there was no collaboration between the schools and the city council on a memorial for Chavarria.
“When a young man battles leukemia and still has a great attitude and lights up a room and gives everything he has, he deserves to be recognized,” he said. “I’m not sure why the superintendent turned it down, other than it wasn’t in our purview. I don’t get it; I want to know for the future how we can proceed with dedicating things that are on school property – who has jurisdiction and where, as is stated in the motion.”
Cogliandro said he apologized to Chavarria’s family for the memorial not moving forward, but said he was not going to let the issue go.
“I’m not pleased with this response from the superintendent,” said Councillor-at-Large Anthony Zambuto. “It appears that the city council is only good to be bullied into funding a high school, and I’ve had it with the tactics of the superintendent; I’m saying that publicly that it is a disgrace to turn down this memorial for this young man.”
