Heading In The

Wrong Direction

(The following letter to Board of Education Chairman Debbie Leidlein has been received for publication.)

Dear Chairman:

I wrote a note to the Legislative Committee (LC) a few weeks ago and somehow you were forwarded my note. In it I wrote that I believed you were dangling full-day kindergarten in front of the voters’ noses to get the budget passed, you responded to me that it was not true. I was just wondering if you were still sticking to the story. To make matters even worse, you wrote that letter to The Bee insinuating the full-day kindergarten was looking like a real possibility and that it was going to be discussed at the next Board of Education (BOE) meeting, and crazy as it seems, it was pulled from the agenda. Very interesting that that meeting was right before the budget vote.

Lastly, when I went to Pat Llodra’s office you looked me in the eye and said that the BOE had all the money they needed. Whose side are you on? I believe you were elected to do what is in the best interest for the children that attend Newtown schools or am I wrong again. I said in that meeting in Pat’s office that there were no extra funds in case anything came up and both you and Pat looked at me like I was a fool and had no idea what I was talking about. Isn’t that exactly what happened? You had to see that possibility, right? Come on!

Please answer me just this one question: Why didn’t you ever show any passion in trying to get more funds added back to the education budget? You knew we needed it, you just had to. You saw all the pleas of parents truly concerned for their children’s future and the future of Newtown schools, all the letters to The Bee, Patch, LC, BOE, Board of Finance, you had all the support you needed and you just sat there, why? I am having a very hard time digesting that. It is mind-boggling and extremely disheartening to say the least.

I heard an extremely sad comment from a very well respected party in the school system and they are greatly concerned about the schools and do Not believe they are what they used to be or headed in the right direction. Bravo!

I am not sure who is holding the puppet strings, but it will be very interesting to see how this all plays out next year.

Kym Camputo

7 Adams Hill Lane, Newtown                                  July 24, 2012