To tri-town families:

Last year’s Good Friday witnessed a significant absentee rate across the Old Rochester Regional school district. The ORR junior high school and high school, for example, saw 20 percent and 21 percent absentee rates, respectively.

Superintendent Doug White acknowledged it was difficult to secure enough substitute teachers, and Principal Lyn Rivet at Sippican School observed: “The rigor of a normal day was not there.”

In light of these realities, I hope that students, parents, teachers, administrators, office workers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers and custodians who observe Good Friday continue to stay home from school on this day and show the ORR school committees that this important day warrants returning to be a holiday on the school calendar.

David F. Pierre, Jr.,

Mattapoisett