Put Education First

To the Editor:

My family and I have lived in Sandy Hook for almost nine years. The school system, prospering business climate, and just the overall good feeling of the town were the factors that brought us here. I will say without hesitation that if the school system did not have a very good reputation, then Newtown would not have been a candidate at all! Today, we, the residents of Newtown, now find ourselves at a critical moment in the town’s history and we will answer one very important question on April 22:

How truly important is the educational system to all the residents of Newtown? Residents mean every resident of every age and not just those with children in the school system.

A vote Yes for the Newtown High School expansion project and the operating budget on April 22 will mean that the school system is vital to our children and vital to the town’s success and future growth. My personal answer to the question is: Yes, education is our #1 priority. I do feel that voting Yes for the Newtown High School expansion project and the operating budget is truly in the best short- and long-term interests of our existing and future children/residents of Newtown and the town itself.

We have all heard about the current problems with our high school, such as the severe overcrowding, accreditation issues, and the other issues that are well documented. Anyone who discounts or ignores the current state of the high school is not facing the truth. The high school needs to be fixed and the current proposal that you will soon vote on is the right place to start. A delay in this project will hurt our children and many other aspects of our town, including our property values.

We all have different life circumstances and opinions and they are all equally very important. I also realize that the economy is in rough shape. The economy will also rebound as it always does. Although truly hard to do, we shouldn’t let the current economic issues like the poor economy and high gas prices be our excuse to not vote Yes. The proposed operating budget is not unreasonable given what we need for the town. It may seem like it is never the right time to do something like this, yet we need to plan for the future and take action. The prosperity of Newtown is linked and will continue be linked to our educational system, which needs to be the #1 priority.

Lastly, one of the most important things here is for everyone to vote. We have a chance to plan for Newtown’s future and prosperity and to provide the best education possible for our children by voting Yes.

Please vote Yes on April 22 for the Newtown High School expansion project and the operating budget.

Sincerely,

Mike Scarpa & Family

24 Gelding Hill Road, Sandy Hook                               April 16, 2008