Veterans to BOE: 'Keep Veterans Day a Holiday'

Steve Pintarich is entirely in favor of the school district enhancing their education regarding American war history and improving curriculum to provide further awareness of what veterans have done for this country – but not at the cost of having students attend classes on Veterans Day.

Speaking before the Board of Education Thursday evening, the past president of the American Legion Kiltonic Post 72 said observing the holiday has become more important than ever before, especially as any other districts have done away with the holiday entirely.

“In the future, I want continue going into schools to teach importance of veterans. In some countries, they do not allow education for females. They cannot host meetings like we are having now,” Pintarich said. “What would this country be like without veterans?” Pintarich said. “I am all for working with organizations like the Elks Club to provide opportunities to teach our students, but please keep veteran’s day.”

The discussions arose Thursday evening at the as the Board of Education unveiled their initial plans for the 2012-13 calendar. The calendar still needs to go through a final vote, but the suggested plan presented by school administrators was to forgo the Veterans Day holiday in order to help prevent the school year from going late into June, a time when it becomes difficult to learn.

With Veterans Day, November 11, falling on a Sunday this year, Pintarich said he would not be opposed to classes being held Friday or Monday, but said he doesn’t want this to become a regular practice in the town.

School Superintendent Joseph V. Erardi Jr. said he met with several area veterans on Thursday and afternoon, had established a five member panel to help incorporate a stronger, year-round education plan to recognize the importance of veterans from kindergarten through grade 12.

The challenge facing board members comes in both finding an appropriate way to honor veterans while also addressing a need that has arisen in consecutive school years now where an extended amount of weather-related cancellations have put schools in a tough position.

Board Chairman Brian Goralski said board members must consider a variety of options. To take days off during the year requires considering adding “to one end or the other.” He did not commit to going to school on Veterans Day, but rather was using it as an example of the challenges board members are facing.

Goralski said Thursday’s discussion was only a first read and a decision will not be made until the Jan. 12 meeting.

The issue has come up before when a proposal was made in 2009 to eliminate the day off in exchange for an enhanced program of studies that day which would honor veterans. Board members were concerned that, at the time, too many students saw it only as a day off and were not recognizing veterans on that day.

But newly-elected member Terry Lombardi said Thursday that she is not in favor of any plan to eliminate the observance of Veterans Day.

“I can’t say enough of the Patriotic efforts of these veterans. It’s admirable the collaboration that Dr. Erardi spoke to because it makes programs in schools stronger, but it is not a replacement for the holiday,” Lombardi said. “Even if triggers conversation between child and parent to have the children ask ‘why are we off today?’ it is a conversation important to why our sons and daughters here today.”

Leonard Marcheselle, a war veteran himself and former Board of Education member, said the holiday has already lost some meaning from when it was first created. Armistice Day, on Nov. 11, was to be the day in which a treaty was signed in 1918 that ended what was then known as “the war to end wars.” That became Veterans Day and now many schools have already stopped observing it.

He asked the board to take a stand and not only enhance curriculum to keep recognition of veterans and their accomplishments alive, but to also make a point of recognizing the holiday.

“If Southington does not fit into the mold of other districts but are better than they are, that should be a source of pride,” Marcheselle said. “Just because they are doing it in other districts doesn’t make it right.”