Necessary Changes

For The School Board

To the Editor:

I am pleased and honored to have been selected as a nominee for a seat on the Board of Education at last week’s Republican caucus. The voters in Newtown will have a wide choice of candidates from several political parties to fill three open seats on the Board of Education. I urge everyone to carefully examine the platforms of these candidates and come out to vote on November 6.

The Board of Education needs to change many aspects of the way it operates and must fully understand its role in the educational system. There must be greater transparency, more cooperation in working with other agencies, a heightened appreciation of taxpayers’ frustration with repeated budget defeats, and improved communication with the public.

It is my opinion that the Board of Education is the most important governmental body in town, not just because it represents 70 percent of your tax dollars, but because it is entrusted with the futures of our children. In the coming weeks you will hear many comments from the candidates vying for these seats. They are all great people with good intentions, but the voters need to discern which of them will bring more of the same and which will provide the necessary changes long overdue on the Board of Education.

George Caracciolo

Schoolhouse Hill Road, Newtown                                   July 27, 2007