Budget discussions too often devolve into hyperbole and ideology. Unfortunately, that is what is happening to the effort to pass a budget for the Hopkinton School District.
We do not have to take that path. For less than the cost of a cup of coffee a month, we can provide our schools the minimum resources needed to avoid the deep cuts a so-called “flat budget” would require, while taking seriously the economic pressure of these troubled times.
The latest school board budget proposal is nearly $500,000 less than the original May 16 proposal. This is now only a 1.8% increase over last year’s operating budget. The tax impact has dropped to $0.07 per $1,000 of property value; that is only $14 a year for a $200,000 home, or $21 a year for a $300,000 home.
That translates to less than the cost of a cup of coffee a month. For that cup, we can keep more academic course offerings at the high school; middle school sports; alcohol and substance misuse services; the wood technology training program; and more.
These examples illustrate the critical moment we are facing for our children. We must remember that public schools are for everyone. They form the heart of a healthy community, providing all children access to a bright and stable future. That is something certainly worth more than the cost of a cup of coffee a month.
FRANZ MATZNER and KEVIN DAVIS
Hopkinton