To the Editor:

With another year of declining enrollment and another school budget increase, it's time to say no more increases!  Otherwise the noose of the MRB gets tighter around our necks.  What is the MRB?  It's the state law that says if you want your fair share of education tax dollars back from Hartford then you, the town taxpayers, must pass a budget at least equal to last year's. So every year we increase our tax bill, when we have a significantly lower enrollment, its too bad if we want to reduce the budget. We are hung!

There is a minor but very difficult recourse.  After the 1977 Connecticut Supreme Court found education a fundamental right Hartford, to redistribute education dollars, created Education Cost Sharing Grants (ECS), or the noose.  To get back your tax dollars we are forced to adhere to the minimum budget requirement (MBR).  MRB says we must budget at least as much for education as we did last year.  If enrollments decline ECS will allow us to reduce our budget but by no more than 0.5 percent. And then only after bowing down to the Hartford dictators.  

The other reason to keep the budget flat is the simple fact, even with fewer students, don't expect bureaucrats to reduce their budget. We, the taxpayers, must say no to an increase. 

So, on April 28, stop the noose from tightening further around our necks and say no increase to the Board of Education budget!  Does this feel like a free country or some other place? 

Warren Hoppmeyer

23 Cobblers Mill Road, Sandy Hook          April 22, 2015