Waiting For Our School Board To Embrace The Guide

To the Editor:

A few weeks ago, after seven months of preparation, a handful of talented school parents launched the first-ever Newtown Education Budget Guide. The guide is an incredible unbiased, nonpolitical, and easy-to-understand 101-page report on the state of our school district and the budget process.

To see the guide, go to: https://sites.google.com/site/newtownedbudgetguide and click on “Go Now” under the “Documents” section.

This impressive comprehensive document was prepared with input from many, many people, and is available to everyone at no cost. In fact, I consider it a gift by those who put it together to those of us who care about the quality of education in Newtown and to those of us who care about how taxpayer funds are used for education.

By now, I am sure members of the Board of Education have had ample opportunity to review the material, but they have yet to embrace the guide and promote it to the public as an effective “communication” tool. Without sponsorship, a “thumbs up” and a link to the guide provided by our Board of Education, too many school parents might not be inclined to take a look and that would be a shame.

If it’s a legal issue because the guide was not prepared by the BOE, then I am sure there are plenty of ways our board members can individually express their interest and support for the guide without a formal BOE “endorsement.” The bottom line is to find a way to help get it into the hands of everyone who would benefit from it.

With budget season now in full swing, we are running out of time.

Today’s BOE must serve as the conduit to ensure good, factual information gets to the public. This guide is not about personal opinion, political rhetoric, or what you might find on a Facebook comment. It is the information that parents and budget voters should have to make informed decisions. It fits perfectly with the BOE’s agenda to promote improved communication and transparency.

To our BOE members.... as you know, so many good things happen in and around our schools every day. And now this first-ever Newtown Education Budget Guide, prepared not by high-priced consultants for $50,000, but by the same parents who you have committed to support.

How lucky are you that this has happened on your watch? This guide deserves nothing less than your full support and enthusiasm.

Kevin Fitzgerald

24 Old Farm Hill Road, Newtown                            March 7, 2012