Date: Fri 04-Sep-1998

By Previous Employees

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: MICHEL

Quick Words:

school-field-trip-Disney

Full Text:

School Bd Members Question The Cost Of Disney Field Trip

BY MICHELE HOGAN

A field trip request for eighth grade discovery students, at an estimated cost

of $750 per student, raised concerns with Board of Education members and

members of the public who attended last Tuesday night's meeting.

The cost, according to NHS PTA President Carlen Gaines, "is exorbitant."

NMS Principal Les Weintraub requested the four-night trip (January 15-19,

1999) to the EPCOT/Disney Youth Center after last year's "extremely

successful" trip to the same place.

He and Sally Harris, Discovery teacher, explained how students learned the

behind-the-scenes tricks of applied physics used by Disney personnel on their

attractions.

Mrs Harris mentioned that new seminar choices in theater production,

animation, animal behavior and animal care promise to make this year's trip an

exceptional educational opportunity.

The concern raised by board members and the members of the public were not

with the educational advantages of the trip, but with the cost.

Mrs Gaines said "There are people who scrape to make ends meet. The expense

makes it prohibitive. My feeling is a thousand dollars [$750 plus $250 for the

regular eighth grade field trip] for a middle schooler is exorbitant.

"Is it an enriching opportunity? Sure. It's pressure. It's pressure. You don't

want to say `I'm sorry' to your child," she continued.

Mr Weintraub showed results from an anonymous questionnaire sent to parents of

eighth grade Discovery students showing that 23 of the 26 parents who

responded to the questionnaire checked off "no" to the question "Do you feel

the price of approximately $750 is excessive for an experience of this

nature?"

Parents of three Discovery students did not complete the questionnaire.

Mr Weintraub said that parents were requested to be "brutally honest" in

filling out the questionnaire. He also said that after the June 3 meeting of

eighth grade Discovery student parents, a handful of parents came forward and

said they would be happy to help fund the trip if other students needed help.

He said, "No child will be denied it for financial reasons."

Roughly ten percent of the eighth grade students, those identified as

academically gifted, are members of the Discovery program and therefore

eligible for the trip.

Mrs Harris said that last year the actual cost was $678 per student, and this

year it is expected to be about the same (although the letter to parents lists

the cost as approximately $750 all-inclusive).

Last year, 38 of the 43 eighth grade Discovery students went. Of the five who

did not go, Mrs Harris said that none of the parents wrote that the reasons

for their child not going were related to finances.

Superintendent of Schools John Reed said that if we ask parents to be brutally

honest in an anonymous questionnaire, and they indicate that they want the

trip, then we should not be asking, "Did they really mean it?"

Susan Hills said that she worries that "We'll be placing our parent group in a

situation where some people will struggle. They want their kids to be able to

go. Some others may have to swallow their dignity and pride, and ask for a

hand-out. I feel I would be insensitive to approve this."

On the other hand, Amy Dent, school board chairman, said, "It would be

arrogant of us to tell 26 people who said `Yeah, we want our children to do

this,' to say `We know better than you.' The overwhelming majority whose

children are going are endorsing the trip."

Linda Thomas-Clement, parent who attended the meeting, said after the meeting

"You expect people to be honest, but when it comes to money, they are private.

You don't know. What if you're the person who needs to step forward [to ask

for money for the trip]?"

Mrs Gaines added, "And three people didn't respond."

Dr Reed recommended that the Board of Education set specific limits on the

cost of field trips by grade levels "so everybody knows the rules."

The Board of Education will be voting on whether to approve this field trip

during the public meeting, to be held on the evening of Tuesday, September 8.

Next HRRA Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Event Scheduled In Newtown

Genealogy Club's Next Program To Dig Into 'Dissecting A Civil War Pension Record'

Choral Society Planning ‘Voices Of America’ Performance

Newtown Earth Day Festival Was A Success

Local Fourth Grader To Host ‘Gaming For Change’ On May 16

The editorial took no position on the budget going up or down so you're reading things into the editorial that simply aren't there. The turnout is tied to the lack of passage, in that people who came out to vote last time did not this time, indicating a lack of support on their part. Perhaps it wasn't spelled out clearly enough, but that's what the editorial was driving at, people showing lack of support by not casting a vote. The editorial did address likely concerns among voters that may have led to lack of support and lack of turnout. This lower turnout also follows increasing turnout over the past four referendums in three years (meaning it is an aberration from that), and increased turnout is something that I do push for regularly in editorials. Any disappointment you might be seeing is at the break in that trend, not at whether the budget passed or not. I'd rather see more people come out and vote "no" then not vote at all.

Lower Turnout Results In Two Budget Defeats

Clearly, property owners no longer want to bear the burden of expenses while the state does not meet it’s responsibilities. Rising costs must be addressed by actions that do not include yearly increases of property owners’ taxes. The state of CT must meet its share of the educational costs, and other costs.

Town And School Budgets Fail At Referendum

This feels like an oddly misleading headline and narrative, particularly coming from the Editorial Board. The headline "Lower Turnout Results in Two Budget Defeats" pushes a misleading narrative regarding voter turnout, and then seeks to tie the outcome of the referendum to that misleading narrative. Sure, voter turn out for this year's referendum, 18%, was lower than last year's. However, last year's turnout, 25.4%, represented the highest turnout in the most recent 10 budget referendums. If you take the time to examine turnout percentages between 2017 and 2026 (2017: 19.9, 2018: 15.7, 2019: 17, 2020: 0, 2021: 8.98, 2022: 7.7, 2023: 8.8, 2024: 15.1/17.49, 2025: 25.4, 2026: 18), this year's turnout was actually the third highest in the past 10 cycles. Perhaps the headline of this article should say "Lower Voter Turnout Than Last Year", which is more accurate, rather than creating an impression that this year's turnout is some type of aberration - a narrative that the turnout numbers, in all their binary glory, simply do not support. Further, the headline of this article appears to tie the "lower turnout" to the defeated budgets. Sure, that could be true. But, perhaps, its more likely that Newtown residents are feeling the squeeze of multiple economic influences. In Newtown, we've experienced property revaluations and increased municipal spending. Eversource continues to raise rates. The state legislature gives PURA the authority to impose Public Benefit charges that benefit a tiny percentage of the public (and subsequently burdening the rest of us). At the national level, inflation has run rampant for years and many of those costs remain high to this day. In short, the data tells a far less dramatic—and far more honest—story than the headline suggests. This wasn’t an electorate vanishing in apathy; it was a fairly typical turnout delivering an verdict that, perhaps, some at the Editorial Board didn't like. At some point, it’s worth considering that residents aren’t confused, disengaged, or misled by turnout; they’re simply doing math at their kitchen tables and concluding that “no” is the only responsible answer left.

Enjoyed the forum which only confirmed my support for Brandon Moore as the Democratic candidate to run for the state representative position. Brandon Moore did not waiver about his duty to all the people, if elected, when an issue presents itself that requires that he voice a difference of opinion for the wellbeing of Newtown residents. If Michelle Ku’s 16 years have led to her loyalty being to other elected officials, as she implied, then Newtown is going to continue to witness actions that do not protect its residents. She could not unseat republican, Mitch Bolinsky, during a Blue Wave, and once again, will not do it now. Winning that seat is critical for all. That explains why her previous campaign committee now campaigns for Brandon Moore. It explains all the endorsements he has received from local elected democratic officials. It’s why we need Brandon Moore to be the democratic candidate to run for state representative.

Second Newtown DTC, League Of Women Voters Candidates Event Planned

Appreciated the opportunity to hear from both candidates as we were present for the College Dems forum but only heard from Brandon Moore. It was an opportunity to see who can unseat the Republican incumbent and there is no doubt that Brandon Moore should be the Democratic candidate. One concerned parent posed a question about discrimination unaddressed by the school district and interestingly enough, Michelle Ku, who proudly speaks of her Board membership years, said little, while Brandon Moore passionately addressed the issue along with his experience as an Apache Helicopter Commander. This family is supporting Brandon Moore. We need change and someone who is not afraid to disagree, especially about the rising costs of living in Newtown.

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Date: Fri 04-Sep-1998

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