Difficult school budget discussions aren’t new in Hopkinton. The small tax base of our town makes these discussions inevitable.
However, in a climate where the teacher contract was rejected after months of negotiations, and where members of the community call in to suggest teachers “do some work for free because we have been teaching our kids during remote learning,” I am not sure what moving forward looks like.
I wish those who voted down the budget would acknowledge that no one working in the school or on the school board is getting rich. We are trying to help all the kids that come through our doors, sometimes under extremely difficult circumstances. When concerned citizens are asking for all sports funding to be cut and suggest “getting rid of old expensive teachers,” which is both immoral and illegal, I do think we need to stop and take a breath.
Our school has wonderful volunteers and both the PTA and a separate charitable organization raising money to help the district. Schools cannot be run on donations alone. Hopkinton School District is not to blame for the way in which New Hampshire improperly funds schools. HSD costs have been kept within the state average, even though the costs of health insurance and transportation continue to go up.
After six months out of school, the students of our town will need the support and care of teachers and staff more than ever. This is not the time for drastic cuts to the school budget.
ANDREA KANE
Hopkinton