Dear Editor,
There is legitimate furor over the condition of the auditorium as delivered to the Watermelon Pageant, and as your Superintendent, I must address this matter. It was my responsibility to make sure that the janitorial staff were doing their job. While not to be an excuse, we are only two people at the district office trying to fill a dozen roles, therefore I naively expected that local contractors paid for a service, were honorable enough to perform that service, but clearly, that was not reality. Because of this disaster, I am making the following changes:
1.) I am replacing the janitorial contractor.
2.) Staff or I will conduct inspections before each event.
3.) My office has been seeking bids to make the necessary improvements to the sound, projection and lighting systems.
4.) I will also obtain bids to repair the stage curtains.
5.) I have recommended a full refund the $651.10 charged to the Watermelon committee.
Those in the community that have met with me about the auditorium over the last several months know of my intention to bring this wonderful community asset back to professional performance standards. Expenditures for auditorium improvements are subject to receipt of PECO funding and board approval, but I feel confident of our ability to obtain the funding and approvals as needed.
In closing, I want to assure every citizen, every resident, and every taxpayer in this county that I will do everything in my power to make this the last auditorium incident.
At your service,
Marianne Arbulu
Superintendent of Schools