Kearsarge voters who support public education and our children need to show up at the deliberative session at 9 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 4 at the high school! On Dec. 5, a small number of citizens in the Kearsarge School District submitted a citizen’s petition to install a mandatory spending cap on the school district’s budget. The per student spending cap set out in the petition is outrageously low and fails to take into account many of the costs of the district to educate the next generations. If adopted, it would force the school district to cut spending in 2026-27 by 17%, over $10 million, potentially forcing the district to lay off over 90 teachers and other staff, and possibly close one or two local elementary schools. We can protect our communities from this direct attack on our children’s education by defeating the petition that was unanimously opposed by school board and municipal budget committee votes.

This year’s budget is proposed to increase at a modest 3.5%. So, what would cutting millions of dollars from the school district budget mean? It would fall to the school board to determine exactly what would have to be cut. Interscholastic sports, busing for many students and anything that the state considers a “non-essential” service would be at risk. Class sizes would increase, staff reductions would be rampant. Protect our students and save our schools. Help defeat this misguided proposal that would gut education in the Kearsarge District.

Ken Bartholomew

Warner