Putting Money

Ahead Of Kids

(The following letter to the members of the Board of Education has been received for publication.)

To the Editor:

I assume that you are all aware that the article on the front page of last week’s Newtown Bee (June 20) concerning the new bus and school schedule changes was incorrect and misleading. Could that have been intentional? When I spoke with Larissa Lytwyn, who wrote the article, she said that Dr Pitkoff told her the school day would start 20 minutes later. To say “the board decided to begin the school day 20 minutes later” is grossly inaccurate. When I phoned Dr Pitkoff’s office on 2 pm Friday, June 20, he had of course already left. A member of his staff said that there is a memo being mailed to all homes with children attending Newtown schools that will have the correct times.

I would first like to applaud Wendy Leon-Gambetta’s efforts to stop this from happening. I do regret that I, and others, didn’t join her earlier in trying to prevent this change. I am not going to parrot the information Wendy has provided regarding sleep habits of teens. I will express concern over how high the instances of drug and alcohol use and sexual activity may rise among seventh and eighth graders, many of whom will now be home unsupervised for several hours every day.

I do not have middle school-aged children. My children are in elementary school, and on a selfish note, this new schedule turns our lives upside down; with soccer, brownies, religious education, and dance as after-school activities, I wonder what may have to be dropped. It will be so late by the time these activities end — when do we do homework? Eight o’clock at night. Maybe 7 am the next morning? My children, along with many other elementary-aged kids need a lot sleep. Their little bodies are programmed to go to bed early and wake earlier than teens. My biggest concern for my children is how their academic performance may suffer due to this new schedule. I guess the coming school year will tell.

And I haven’t even touch on the logistical nightmare for parents who have to drive a younger child to preschool at the same time they need to get their school-aged children on the bus. The same holds true for working parents who will now need to find a daycare provider, within their district, to put their children on the bus in the morning.

Lastly, I’m very disturbed about a theory I’ve heard voiced by more than a few parents. Maybe this is the school board’s way of teaching a lesson. The town voted down the first two budgets, so now this is what we’re forced to live with. As on parent said, “Maybe next year the budget will pass the first time and we’ll have the money to change the schedule back.” I truly hope this was not the method behind the madness, but with more and more people suggesting this idea, I have to wonder.

How sad to live in a town where money is put ahead of the well-being, education, and general quality of life of our children.

Sincerely

Janet M. McKeown

10 Hillcrest Drive, Newtown                                           June 23, 2003