Opinion

Editorial

A Bitter, Necessary Pill for Holyoke

There is considerable angst, not to mention anger, in Holyoke these days, among residents and elected officials alike, as the state mulls whether to take over the city’s long-underperforming public school system.

And we certainly understand such emotions. No one wants to see a community cede control of its finances or its schools to the Commonwealth; receivership is truly an ugly term.

But sometimes, it is necessary. Sometimes, there is no real option. Sometimes, it is the proverbial desperate measure required in desperate circumstances.

This is one of those times.

Indeed, while some might argue that Holyoke Superintendent Sergio Perez, who came into this role less than two years ago, hasn’t had enough time to put his stamp on the system and engineer a turnaround, one can’t argue that the city has had plenty of time to generate improvement.

And it hasn’t happened.

In some ways, this is understandable. Reversing more than a decade of underperformance and unacceptably high dropout rates doesn’t happen easily. It usually happens only when those in authority have a license to institute bold initiatives and extricate themselves from restrictions forced upon them by powerful unions.

This can happen when a receiver takes charge.

It has happened in Lawrence — a city very similar to Holyoke demographically, with a high percentage of Hispanic residents — where receivership went into effect in 2012.

There, according to statistics quoted by the Boston Globe, the dropout rate has decreased by 46% since 2011, the graduation rate has gone from 52% in 2011 to 67% last year, and the number of level 1 schools (those deemed least in need of improvement) has tripled over the past three years.

State Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester cited Lawrence’s improved performance as he talked about the urgency of the situation in Holyoke and his recommendation that the state take over Holyoke’s schools.

As we said at the top, this is a drastic, yet needed step for this city and its schools. Holyoke is registering considerable progress when it comes to entrepreneurial energy and economic development. But for this city to truly revitalize itself, its schools must improve, thus giving students a chance to succeed in a changing, more technology-driven economy.

The state wouldn’t be punishing Holyoke by taking over its schools; it would be aiding in its comeback. v