The School Budget

This year, the Burlington School District is asking voters to approve a $45,724,107 budget. This is a 10% increase!

There was a 6.5% increase in state funding. If the school board stayed within a 6.5% increase, we would see no local increase in our property taxes. But the school board was not able to stay within a 6.5% increase.

I do not find that acceptable.

We all are facing rising energy and health care costs, yet we do not have an endless purse to draw from. We must stay within our budgets and I expect the same of our elected officials.

Some of the cost that trouble me are:

• Money to introduce foreign languages at all elementary schools
• $150,000 to sustain after school program
• Money to establish preschool at Flynn Elementary

With regard to the after school program and preschool, I find it troubling that the scope of what we as taxpayers are responsible for is expanding.

I can support a publicly-funded education system for K-12, but I do not see why the taxpayers are responsible for childcare after school hours, and now at preschool ages.

Senior citizens, stay-at-home parents, homeschoolers, people without children, and others who do not utilize city-funded childcare are forced to financially support the life choices of parents who have children in these programs.

I think we need to stop and ask what the general citizenry is responsible for.

K-12 education or state-run childcare?

I am willing to pay my fair share of the cost of public education, even though I educate my own children at my own expense at home.

I am not willing to pay for someone else’s daycare.

I think the line needs to be drawn. A 10% increase is too much. Expanding the scope of public school to ages 3 and 4 and expanding the school day is more than the taxpayers should have to bear.

I will be voting no on this year’s school budget.