BOE PRESIDENT DR. ANDREA MACARI
Opening Statement to Community – “Misinformation”
BOE Meeting 3.14.24

At the Board of Education Meeting on 3/14/24, President Macari addressed the North Shore Community in her opening statement saying the following:

I would like to welcome everyone to tonight’s meeting. We are always happy to see so many students in our audience. But tonight, it is extra special as this was a tough week for all of us up here.

Unfortunately, many community members received an email this weekend that contained false information about the independent budget review this Board unanimously approved. The spread of this type of misinformation, whether intentionally distributed or inadvertently shared, taints the good work of our schools and aims to divide our beautiful and usually united community.

But it also is a drain on our District’s resources. We all received Dr. Z’s email which contained the accurate information regarding our budget review. Countering misinformation is a time-consuming effort for our Central Administrators. It is time taken away from enhancing our educational programs. It is time taken away from building relationships with our stakeholders. It is time taken away from generating revenue and finding efficiencies. But most importantly, it is time taken away from our community’s children.

If the last several years are any indication, this weekend’s kickoff misinformation campaign will likely not be the only of its kind during this budget season. I am not exactly sure what the solution is. I do know that as a community each one of us needs to be vigilant for false claims intended to mislead by bad faith players.

Tactics such as cherry-picking data, using quotes out of context, and posting manipulative visuals make deceptive emails and social media posts might seem compelling at first glance, but misinformation has the potential to destroy these schools, our housing values, and our community’s faith in each other.

We all play a part in stopping misinformation:

-Who is the source of this information? Is it anonymous?
-What is the tone? Is it hostile? Is it aggressive?
-Did I even sign up to receive this information?
And maybe most importantly, do these accusations fit with what I personally know to be true about our school and its people, and our fellow neighbors?

But while we need to work together to combat misinformation, I do need to tell you this Board values civil discourse and the exchange of constructive ideas. We very much want you to take a critical look at what we do. We read your emails. We invite you to participate in public comments. We want you to attend one of the many community budget meetings we are hosting. Please be an active participant in the budget process. We are in this together and there is a power in us.