Still Smoldering

To the Editor:

I know that we should consider ourselves lucky. I know that the reductions could have been worse. We have unanimous support for the budget by the Board of Education and the Board of Finance. The first selectman and all but one member of the Legislative Council also support the budget as it stands today. The council chairperson said “God help you” because we will face very severe “draconian” cuts if the town doesn’t vote Yes. Hopefully Newtown is poised to do just that: show support Tuesday, April 27, at the Middle School.

But I am a smoldering coal. I am not satisfied with the budget.

The reason is that the reductions that were made to the school budget last year hurt. This budget will not heal any of those wounds. Instead more are being inflicted. I am disappointed that approximately $416,000 ($250,000 and $166,000) in cuts falls on the heels of $2.4 million already cut from the principal’s and superintendent’s requests — $2.4 million!

What do the cuts mean to you and your family? To our town?

To me it means my kids will go at least another year in K–6: a) without a math program that challenges them; b) with buses that are packed to capacity and classrooms that are packed past capacity; c) few schoolwide enrichment opportunities for advanced learners not included in the gifted program as well as a gifted program that is a mere shadow of what it should be; d) another year that relies on parent volunteers to pick up the pieces both as classroom volunteers and as supplemental teachers at home; e) another year with staff and administrators stretched beyond reasonable limits, all the while donning genuine smiles for our kids; f) another year with middle- and high-ability kids’ potential left untapped, waiting to learn because teachers have to meet too many divergent needs for too many children; g) another year without adequate school counselors, daily physical education classes, foreign languages, orchestra, science fairs, spelling bees and... the list goes on and on and on.

I am not as well versed in what the reductions to the town side of the budget mean, but I know they hurt as well. Municipal services need to be supported whether we individually benefit from them or not. It is our responsibility as a community to do so.

I am still a smoldering coal. Don’t get me wrong, though... I believe that Newtown will continue, as always, to love our schools and our town. We will continue to feel proud and will work for improvements. We will continue to love our precious children and grandchildren and neighbors’ children and all citizens of our town. We will support this budget. And we will continue to work for a budget next year that better meets our needs.

Sarah Beier

7 Yogananda Street, Sandy Hook                                   April 21, 2004