After reading Mr. Brian Elliott’s letter to the paper this week and reading Mr. Tom Morphet’s article regarding the Chilkat Valley Preschool, I wanted to clarify some of their statements. Firstly, the memorandum of understanding between the school board and CVP was not the board promising CVP that it would be sited at the school. It was an understanding that the idea would be investigated by the superintendent to see what it would entail and cost the district if it happened. Unfortunately, certain members of the board led CVP to believe that it was a “done deal.” Secondly, there was never an already “available space,” as stated in Mr. Elliott’s letter. Someone somewhere in the building would have to move. Mr. Elliott also said a select few teachers opposed moving CVP into the school. In fact, all teachers, all administration and almost all classified staff were opposed. In Mr. Morphet’s article, he references a letter to the CVP board from HBSD staff saying “they were rude and bullying.” In actuality, this letter was from one staff member only, expressing their individual view, not the entire staff’s view. I want to state that because the Haines Borough School District staff did not support preschool being in the school does not mean they do not support early education. Most of the school staff sent their own kids to CVP. Hurt feelings and misunderstandings came from false promises on the part of a few people. Here’s hoping we can all move on and continue being a wonderful community.

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