Enough Has Been Compromised

To the Editor:

Last week, a press conference was held by Mr Capeci, Mr Kortze, Ms Jacob, and Ms Fetchick in order to share their plan and budget numbers with the voters. This was in the hope of passing a budget. Obviously, that failed.

My question to them is why did it take the failure of the last budget for them to finally share their budget numbers and plan for the Newtown budget with the voters? Why does Newtown have this tradition of politicians who withhold information from the voters? This lack of openness, in and of itself, is reason enough to vote No.

Ms Fetchick stated that “for the last ten years [Newtown] scores have been flat.” What she failed to mention is that the scores within our District Regional Group (DRG) are increasing. Newtown is in the bottom third of our DRG in SAT test scores (both math and verbal) and the trendline of SAT scores within our DRG is up while Newtown’s trendline is flat or down.

If you look at our math SAT scores from 1996 to 2009, our scores are flat. However, the test scores of the other towns within our DRG are trending upward. In verbal SAT scores from 1996 to 2009, our trendline is downward while the trendline of the DRG is upward sloping. What Ms. Fechick also failed to mention is that Newtown consistently scores below our DRG in math SAT scores. Only in years 1997 and 2001 did we score above our DRG. And she failed to mention that we used to score above our DRG in verbal SAT scores until 2002, when we fell below our DRG. We now score below our DRG in both math and verbal SAT scores.

I am one of those voters who voted No because I believe we are now cutting into the core curriculum of our schools. Ms Jacob characterizes me and others like me as way left of center and uncompromising. These buzz words attempt to isolate and radicalize my position. What Ms Jacob has ignored is that I and other parents have already compromised numerous times with numerous budgets. We have compromised to the point where our [once] Blue Ribbon high school is now on warning status with the state Department of Education. We have compromised to a point where are children are unable to take a course either due to lack of space or lack of a teacher. We have compromised and lost an orchestra. We have compromised with the loss of the late bus, making it difficult if not impossible, for kids with two working parents to participate in after school activities. We have compromised on class size. Ms Jacob says her child will have 30 kids in a high school class and my child has 22 in her second grade class. The list goes on. If refusing to watch programs, teachers, and curriculum disappear, to never return, makes me far left and uncompromising, then so be it.

Charles Hepp

4 Winter Ridge Road, Sandy Hook                                 May 19, 2010