To the Editor:

The following is what I shared at the Legislative Council public hearing on March 22 regarding the Newtown Education Budget:

I have been attending these budget meetings for several years now and I have observed a pattern. The Legislative Council asks the town and BOE [Board of Education] to look at reducing expenses by finding shared services. They do and you are not satisfied with the results.

You ask for an enrollment study. An enrollment study is done and you don't agree with the results.

You ask for a transportation study. A transportation study is done and you still think buses can be cut and you question the results of the study.

You share concerns around escalating costs for special education. The administration does a great job of streamlining special education costs and it results in savings. This is something that should be recognized since last year, the school system was on a spending freeze for most of the school year due to unexpected costs, but now you want to take that savings before the fiscal year is even over because the state can't get their act together (referring to proposed state budget education changes).

You ask the BOE to look at closing a school. I was a part of the Future Facilities Committee and listened to all the discussion and research and it wasn't the right move to close a school. And you continue to question the results of that committee.

All of this is happening while the town sits on a $10 million fund balance. And I know that it helps with debt service and gets us great ratings with the S&P or Moody's, but that fund balance is taxpayer money.

And every year, I come to these budget meetings and I ask you to not cut education, but you do. Dr Erardi and his administration are doing a fantastic job and making reductions to the school budget to account for declining enrollment while still maintaining an excellent school system. So again, here I am asking you to not cut the education budget. Don't hurt our students and our schools.

Sincerely,

Karyn Holden

68 Berkshire Road, Sandy Hook         March 29, 2017