Just Say No; Budget too Low!

I was one of the many people that stood up and spoke at the about the Board of Education Budget. In case you were unaware of the outcome, the which has left the Board of Education trying to figure out where they can make cuts that will have the least impact.

I trust that they will do what’s best for our children and not everyone will suffer, however, it’s inevitable that some will; whether it’s larger class sizes or no , the cuts will have an impact.

Now this is not a done deal, the fat lady has not sung yet, there is still time for every parent in town to speak up and this time they will be heard and their opinions will have to be listened to. There is a . Residents have three choices 1. Accept the budget. 2. Reject the budget as too high or 3. Reject the budget as too low.

The language is somewhat confusing, so let me explain. I would like to urge all parents, even those whose children are not in school yet to vote “No, the budget is too low.” This means you are telling the Town Council we believe the Board of Education needs more money.

I know in the past people have had the “Why bother?” attitude. After all, even if we vote the budget down, the council are not forced to raise it drastically and there is nothing to stop them raising it by one dollar. But think about the message you would be sending? If we get a large number of people voting it down, perhaps they might realize that this is not a good decision for our town, and it’s not what the voters want.

If there is a poor turnout and the budget gets passed, then what? Well, the Board of Ed will make the cuts, people will grumble, but life will go on, and next year when the Town Council remembers how quickly this was forgotten, what is to stop them chipping away at the education budget again? 

I did not grow up here, but when my husband and I were looking for a house, we moved here because the school district was good. Call me selfish, but I want to keep it that way. I would rather my mill rate went up than have my kids end up suffering because I sat back and did nothing, letting the town erode the budget. It’s a fact of life, the cost of living goes up, I don’t like it, but it's reality.

According to our town charter, 15 percent of the voting population has to vote to make it binding. Polling stations are at and . They are open 12 to 8pm.

Please take five minutes to take a stand and make your voice heard. If you don’t vote, the budget will go through as the council has recommended. If you don’t vote, don’t complain when your kid struggles to get through the curriculum in a big class where the teacher is stretched thin or when your kindergarten student spends less time in a classroom than a kindergartner in Bridgeport does.