The Consequences Of Not Voting

To the Editor:

I’d like to thank all the families at Middle Gate School who made it to the voting booths on April 24 to show support for the budget. As a parent of three children, I recognize that voting may not be a top priority when there are sports, dance, music, grocery shopping, and many other things on our daily list of things to do. It’s easy to forget to vote. However, what are the consequences to our children?

 A 6.2 percent increase over last year’s education budget covers our basic operating needs, such as teachers’ salaries, insurance, materials. The education budget has now been reduced to a 5.39 percent increase (after the Board of Finance recommended cuts and the cuts made as a result of the failed budget). Items that are necessary, but not within the “operating budget” such as a full time special education teacher, repairs to the floors, steps to the lower parking lot which is a safety issue will certainly now be eliminated. All our schools have a list of additional items such as these. Until the budget passes, we will not know what items the Board of Education will vote to remove, or how deep the cuts will be beyond the basic operating needs. Additionally, teachers cannot be offered their contracts until the budget passes, diminishing the pool of available and highly qualified instructors. Who loses most when a budget fails? The children.

 Multiple failed budgets affects not just the cuts to the budget for education, but education philosophy in general. Knowing that passing a budget is difficult every year because a minute fraction of registered voters make it to the polls, how can the town ever become progressive and include items that will help our children be educationally competitive? We must show them through our votes.

Think out of the Newtown “box” and beyond the borders of our country. How do we relate in terms of educational standards to the world’s superpowers? Are we equipping our children with the very latest available in technology, science, math, language, or do we give our children the “bare minimum” and hope they can manage? If we cannot give teachers the very basic tools they need, such as the conversion from the Mac to PC system, how will Newtown ever support SmadtBoard interactive technology in the budget for our schools, so we can be in line with other US states, and countries such as England and China that offer this technology to their children?  Will Newtown ever be able to offer foreign language in the elementary grades? How do other same demographic towns manage to do so?

The budget process is cyclical. Whatever the reasons are not to make time to go out to vote, consider what is lost. It is not just about the cuts that will occur in this year’s budget, but the deepest cut of all, the hope to advance our educational standards so our children can be successful in a global environment. Take the time to vote. Thank you.

Desiree Galassi

Middle Gate PTA President

 151 Huntingtown Road, Newtown                                   May 2, 2007