I am a teacher in Hopkinton. I have taught here for 21 of my 27 years in education. I currently have two children in the Hopkinton schools. My family, like many families, moved to Hopkinton because of the quality of education the school provides.
It frustrates me that the citizens of this great town cannot pass a school budget. In thinking about how the state funds education, I decided to do some simple math. According to the state of New Hampshire, it costs roughly $17,000 each year to educate one child in Hopkinton. This means the cost of one of my children’s education from kindergarten to grade 12 is over $220,000. Next, I went to my tax bill. I contribute roughly $5,500 each year to the schools based on my home’s assessed value of around $350,000. I realized that, at the current tax rate, it will take me over 40 years to pay for one of my daughter’s education. Having two children means I would need to live in Hopkinton for 80 years in order to pay, through my taxes, for the cost of both girls’ education.
I wonder how many of the people who voted “No” on the school budget have lived in Hopkinton long enough to have paid for the cost of their own children’s education.
JOAN FOLLANSBEE
Hopkinton