Think before you vote on school budget
After the proposed budget defeat last year and knowing that the kids in our communities of Jaffrey and Rindge heard the message that they and their education were not important, I made a personal decision to educate myself on how and why this happened.
I began attending School Board meetings to become more informed. It is now a year later, and I am amazed at the amount of information that was put forth by the dedicated staff we have within our district. With each and every presentation I heard it brought the realization of how fortunate the students are and what is available to them. I would encourage anyone in doubt of voting for the current proposed budget to take some time and look at the district’s website and watch some, if not all, of the presentations.
It is important to also remember that each School Board member is a taxpayer, and they hear the community and the difficulty of what rising property taxes bring. Blame does not fall on the School Board, it falls on the state. Our district had over $1 million in state aid cuts as well as additional required mandates put in place with no funding for the implementation, placing these financial shortfalls on property owners.
When you vote on March 10 for the school budget, as you hold your pen to the yes or no box for Article II, please remember the kids. They are our future and deserve the best education we can give to them as they are important.