The Budget Is A Bargain

To the Editor,

On Tuesday, April 25, Newtown residents will have an opportunity to vote for a town budget that received strong bipartisan support from the Legislative Council. This budget addresses some of the urgent needs of a town that has grown at a rate of 37 percent over the past ten years.

The need for a 5/6 school is obvious to anyone who has done a recent head count of our student population. Newtown’s rank near the bottom of the list of Connecticut towns in per-pupil expenditures is an embarrassment. We must not lose any more experienced and talented teachers to nearby towns that can pay them tens of thousands of dollars more per year than Newtown currently pays. Class sizes in many of our schools are currently at or above state guidelines.

Rumors will continue to swirl around the education budget – the perennial “laptop computer for every man, woman and child” scare, for example. The Board of Education has presented the town with a no-fat budget. If you have questions about what’s in it or you’ve heard something through the grapevine that you are concerned about, call the schools. Ask questions and get the real answers.

Then join your many friends and neighbors who are willing to spend, on average, an extra fifty or so dollars a month for quality education, adequate and safe playing fields, properly maintained parks and recreation facilities, town services that can begin to meet the demands of an exploding population, and an opportunity to determine the fate of Fairfield Hills. Vote Yes. It’s a bargain.

Sincerely,

Cheryl Clark

2 Pheasant Ridge Rd, Newtown                                   April 18, 2000