Ideally, public education would be one of life’s great levelers.
Regardless of their family’s background, wealth, ethnicity or financial status, all children can attend school, for free, to learn reading, math, science, history, art, writing and music. They can exercise and play games in physical education class. If they choose, they can take part in extracurricular activities such as sports and clubs and school productions.
They can make lifelong friends, and at the end, they can put on caps and gowns and walk across a stage to receive a diploma with their friends and family cheering – no matter where they came from, and no matter where they’re going next.
Of course, the reality rarely matches the ideal. With funding in New Hampshire determined largely by property taxes, some districts have greater capacity to provide the services to help children learn and the activities that enhance the educational experience. Every year, school districts develop budgets that ask people to support them with their tax dollars, and local boards and residents alike question, amend and sometimes reject those requests. Since funds aren’t unlimited – and unfortunately, districts that are less well off have greater limits — it’s important for school districts to justify the money they’re asking residents to pay.
Furthermore, public school teachers, school staff and administrators are doing their best to meet the ideal every day, but the work they do is an unwitting part of our culture wars. These include the debates about “divisive concepts,” “teacher loyalty,” whether Critical Race Theory is taught in public schools (it’s not), efforts to require school districts make all educational material available in libraries and even COVID mitigation such as mask requirements.
When schools are part of the culture wars, it takes away from what they should be – places where all children, regardless of background, can get an education.
We encourage everyone to vote in this week’s elections and Town Meetings, including in Peterborough, where the town election is not until May, but residents do vote for the ConVal school district budget items and school board members Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Peterborough Community Center on Elm Street.