Voters Have No Say Over

What Gets Cut

To the Editor:

Regarding the June 20, 2003, article “School Board Cuts Costs With Schedule Changes And Pay To Play,” I read the above item and once again I am extremely disappointed that the school children would lose again. Perhaps, the taxpayers should not even vote for the school budget. No matter how much money the voters cause to be cut, the school children lose. The majority of the surrounding towns have had the budgets rejected once, twice, and even more. This goes on year after year. The bottom line for the taxpayers is the kids will not get something, i.e., cuts in sports, cuts in certain new school positions, etc.

Not to be redundant, but we voters vote for “what to take away from the kids.” Aren’t they what the whole school system is all about?

 Do we get to decide how many assistant principals there are? Vice superintendents? Rate of salaries of administrators and teachers? Of course not!

 Everything seems to be mandated, and most taxpayers buy that!

 Shouldn’t we have the right to have some say on this matter? No!

 Now I’m talking about fairness. The Newtown first selectman and chief of police are responsible for the entire town, including the school children, school employees, and school system. Their salaries are regulated by the “budget” that we vote on. They even make less money than an assistant principal. I’m not advocating that they get a raise, but why can’t we have some say in the entire budget.

Richard T. Kovacs

 64 Appleblossom Lane, Newtown                                 June 23, 2003