THE ENEMY WITHIN

On Thursday May 20th, about 400 - 500 residents that live within the Elwood School District attended a special meeting of the Board Of Education to hear and participate in a discussion about the next steps of the school district’s budget process for the 2010 / 2011 school year.

The audience was mixed with some very familiar faces of regulars including PTA members, teachers and administrators, but there were also many unfamiliar faces. Considering BOE meetings usually have no more than 20 – 50 people in attendance, if that many, you could imagine that there were many unfamiliar faces in the crowd, and frankly, I thought the BOE would be getting an earful about taxes being too high and an overall outcry for more cuts. However, the vast majority of the people in attendance this night were advocating for the Board to make few cuts to program or staff and became fearful of what the future may bring when they realized the cuts that must be considered to bring the tax increase lower by just a few percent. They were passionate and energized, and reacting to the now very real prospect of going to a contingency or “austerity” budget this year.

The austerity budget is set by law at a rate commensurate with the CPI of December 2009. For the 2010 / 2011 school year an austerity budget would actually be a slight decrease from the prior year’s budget; nevertheless, it would still bring forward a tax increase of +1.36% because of a reduction in revenue from NY State Aid, interest, Etc. Therefore, the school district would have mandated and contractual increases of expenses next year that the BOE would have to support within the financial constraints of a lower budget and less revenue.

Pressure is mounting for the BOE to make a decision and it is being lobbied from three different interests. There is pressure coming from people that represent the majority of voters from last Tuesday’s election to stop spending and keep taxes from escalating; others are saying to put the same budget up that failed by 148 votes. The more practical and risk adverse advocates that want to keep our schools competitive and strong realize there must be some additional reductions to the tax levy in order to ensure a successful outcome of a second election. They realize that economic frustrations, displaced anger, and complacency can easily send the school district into the abyss of austerity, which would require draconian cuts that would result in a sea change in Elwood Schools. Nevertheless, even among the more practical and risk adverse, there is debate about what cuts to make. Some people believe in holding onto extra-class programs – i.e. sports and music programs, and the annual school plays, while others are lobbying for holding onto to staff so that class sizes do not rise and create an environment that can diminish the quality of instruction.

The leadership of the BOE and central administration of the school district are accountable to make the decision of what budget will be put in front of the constituency of Elwood and are up to the task.

The voting constituency of Elwood will make the decision on whether we increase funding to our schools or go to an austerity budget. The election will take place on June 15th, 2010. The ultimate decision in this democratic process of the community voting to fund their own schools is up to YOU, the voter. The BOE is accountable for the budget, but you, the voter, are accountable for the outcome of the election that will fund Elwood Schools - its academic and elective programs, and the extra-class programs….

The outcome of our collective accountability will shape our schools, and will affect your financial resources, your home values now and in the future, and the education of your children and your neighbor’s children, so it is no wonder that these are emotionally charged decisions.

The other night a Dad who did not vote on Tuesday and is now exercised and anxious about his children’s school program came up to me and said, “Dan, I am not clear on where you stand on the issue, you seem to walking on the political line.” My response was direct. I shot back at him and said, “Where do I stand? I am the one who voted to make cuts that would remove people I care about from their employment. I am the one who was heartbroken because I voted to limit the Cultural Arts program that pushed down on the spirit of children who have a passion and talent for the arts. My colleagues and I are the people who spent days and hours going over how we can keep class size down and ensure the quality of instruction in our classrooms. We anguished between raising taxes and providing extra-class programs that speak to the passions within all of our children, and the development of their self-expression and sense of camaraderie, and their connection with their school community that lasts a lifetime; because these are the elements of our program that build the character of a child and of a Nation… And, without this level of character, academic proficiency is squandered. I am part of a team of Board members that put a budget and tax increase forward that was among the highest in both Suffolk and Nassau Counties and got verbally abused and beat up for it. Now, I want to know, WHERE WERE YOU on Tuesday May 18th ?”

Please do not sit on the sidelines, get into the game. Come to the BOE meetings or communicate with the Superintendent of Schools in the central office to get first hand facts and clarify any uncertainties with pertinent questions. Get answers directly from the source.

Ignorance, misinformation, and political manipulation of facts are the enemy. And, our enemy’s allies are complacency and apathy - the enemy within.

TAKE THE TIME TO REFLECT AND PLEASE, THINK RESPONSIBLY BEFORE YOU VOTE.