The roundtable discussion format was a great success at last night's meeting on school funding at the Bartlett School. Admittedly the table was more of a horseshoe shape to accomodate the cameras, but the conversation was lively and wide-ranging, just as we had hoped. Superintendent of schools, Dr. Karla Brooks Baehr, school department Director of Finance and Operations, Jay Lang, and school committee member Joe Mendonca were there to answer questions and guide the discussion. Also in attendance were school committee members John Leahy and Jackie Doherty.

As predicted, we talked about Lowell High reaccreditation; Hancock vs. Driscoll; the current, past and future budgets; creative ways the district has found to save money; and much more.

There was a lot of valuable information packed into the meeting. Anyone interested in the ins and outs of school funding and how it will impact the quality of education in the city should try to watch the meeting on Channel 22. CPC meetings are broadcast on Sundays at 5:00 p.m., Mondays at 7:00 p.m., and Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. Have a look and then give us some feedback!