Vote in Favor of the SAD44 Budget

To the Editor:

On the evening of May 24, residents of SAD 44 will gather at Telstar High School to consider the School Board’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2011. That evening’s vote and the subsequent vote at the Budget Validation Referendum on Tuesday, June 8, are critically important for the future of our children.

As most members of this community know, our local schools are facing a severe reduction in state aid in the coming years. Our School Board and Superintendent have worked tirelessly to put together a thoughtful financial response under difficult circumstances. Many community members have participated in the budget process and many ideas have been considered. While the proposed budget contains unavoidable cuts to classroom instruction, if the budget is not approved, it will go back to the School Board for reconsideration, a process that would likely result in more drastic cuts. Now it’s time to move the process ahead so that the schools can begin effectively planning for the next school year.

As a combined group of parents and teachers, we have met over the last few months to explore ways to support our schools. We believe that approval of this budget is in the best interest of our children and our schools. We encourage all residents who value education to please join us on May 24 and vote in favor of the budget.

Amy and Zack Lehman, for the Friends of Crescent Park School