Serving On The Board Of Education

To the Editor:

Running a school system, by any measure, is a difficult task. It requires a great balancing act: balancing the needs of our children, the taxpayers, the teachers, the school staff, and the community at large. It requires understanding and responding to the dramatic changes occurring in technology, new state and federal mandates, and the upheaval in the economy. Newtown is not exempt from these challenges with aging infrastructure, uncertainties in future population growth, and tight budgets. Yet, I believe that Newtown has on balance done a good job of running its schools. Certainly there have been hiccups, close calls, and controversies, but at least as measured by test results, average cost per student, and the reputation in the real estate community, Newtown has a good school system.

The question is how do we keep it that way? It requires a combination of things: appreciation for the challenges of educating children, compassion for those who support education through their taxes and their careers, and skill at managing complex financial, technical, and organizational issues.

I have lived in Newtown for 15 years with three children in the system: my oldest graduated two years ago and is now in college; the other two are in the midst of their public school careers. For many years I have worked from home, facilitating my involvement with the schools: volunteering in the classroom, chaperoning field trips, serving on the District’s CIP Action Team, and most recently being appointed to the board. Now as a sole parent I have a developed an even deeper appreciation for how well the schools work and where they fall short. I know what it’s like to provide homework support every night, to help a child over the college acceptance hurdle, or the scheduling impact of the tiered bus system, where if you have children in all three tiers (as I once did) the morning routine can easily run for over three hours.

I also understand firsthand the burden school taxes can place on residents. My property taxes are my second largest household expense, exceeded only by our health insurance, and I saw the difficulty that my late mother, Mavis, a 13-year Newtown resident, had paying her property taxes on a fixed income.

As a businessman, with over 30 years experience in both large corporations and small business, I have become accustomed to working with complex financial issues, with techniques of disciplined strategic planning, overseeing large projects, and the challenges of managing a large organization. As a former member of the Board of United Way of Northern Fairfield County, I know what it takes to provide good governance. You can see my complete resume at www.IPN2009.org/william-hart.

I believe that I have experience as a parent, taxpayer, and executive to provide the leadership that Newtown’s schools need and to once again achieve Blue Ribbon status. Please consider voting for me on the “Independent” line on November 3.

William Hart

Member of and IPN

Candidate for Board of Education

24 Fawnwood Road, Sandy Hook                            October 20, 2009