To the editor:

Well, this is a new low for the loose coalition of five members within the current School Committee for the Bristol Warren Regional School District.

The idea that you would vote to NOT renew the contract of the principal of Mt. Hope High School, Dr. Deborah DiBiase, for the next school year is simply bizarre. Her achievements are abundant and well-known, led by one of her most recent, being named RI High School Principal of the Year for 2021. Just reading the selection criteria for this award should be enough to make anyone recognize that Dr. DiBiase is an invaluable asset to this district.

Combine this knowledge with an awareness of the relationships she has built with her high school students and families, and the larger community in both towns, and you should realize that Dr. DiBiase is the beating heart of Mt. Hope High School.

Whether she is building partnerships with community leaders, supporting innovation among her teachers, strengthening school spirit, and always encouraging her students to reach for their dreams, she pours her heart and expertise into it all. And we all know it. Families know it because we read it in her Husky Family Newsletters. We hear it when our kids tell us about their days. We see it when we see her cheering on our kids at their games, meets, performances, concerts, honors ceremonies, art shows, competitions, banquets, fundraisers, dances and graduations – she goes to everything, and she cheers for every student with a heart full of Purple Pride!

Surely you do not intend to cut the heart out of our high school. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, business owners, police officers, firefighters, town employees, homeowners, renters, teachers, students, voters – we know Dr. D is an exceptional principal. Now it’s time for you to prove that you know it, too, by voting to renew Dr. DiBiase’s contract as principal of Mt. Hope High School.

Kristen Quinn
6 Redic Ct.
Bristol