amber@northstarreporter.com
The School Committee is optimistic about the potential for the new scoreboard at Raymond E. Beaupre Jr. Field to improve community engagement.
Installed in August, the scoreboard has already begun to serve as a community resource. Its debut as an entertainment platform came on Friday, Sept. 6, when it was used to showcase “Inside Out 2” for a free community movie night. Attendees gathered on blankets to enjoy the film with neighbors while the NAHS Class of 2026 sold snacks.
School Committee member Charles Peters envisions broader applications for the scoreboard.
“Kids are content creators now… this is a new resource for them,” he said at the Sept. 10 School Committee meeting.
Drawing from his experience creating videos for Gillette Stadium scoreboards, Peters offered his expertise, saying, “I would love to help anyone who has questions.”
Keith Lapointe, another committee member, emphasized the scoreboard’s potential to rebuild community connections in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“For two years, we were all separate… and those habits still need to change. We need to bring back the community culture,” Lapointe remarked.
He expressed hope that these efforts would foster a stronger sense of community throughout the student body as well.
The committee’s goals for community engagement have received an unexpected boost through an increase in state education funding. Chapter 70, the Massachusetts program that provides education aid to every community in the state, has seen a significant increase for North Attleborough.
Initially, the governor’s budget proposed an approximate $30 per student. However, through extensive lobbying and discussions with legislators, the final amount approved by the senate jumped to $104 per student.
This increase is particularly impactful because it came after the town’s budget process had been finalized. Despite this timing challenge, advocates successfully pushed for the additional funds to be allocated to the school system. With approximately 4,000 students in the district, this increase represents a substantial boost in funding that can support various educational and community initiatives.
The combination of new community resources like the scoreboard and the unexpected increase in state funding positions North Attleborough schools to enhance both educational opportunities and community engagement in the coming year. As the town continues to recover from the isolating effects of the pandemic, these developments offer promising avenues for rebuilding and strengthening community bonds.
