Hopkinton voters, I ask of you to please not abandon our most vulnerable residents, the children of our town.
On May 30, many residents voted “no” for the proposed budget in spite of the tax rate decrease that it would have created. Many of these voters are insistent on cutting even more from the budget and, after the school board meeting on June 18, we now know what and who these cuts will likely affect. These draconian cuts would slash offerings at the high school, cutting science, English, art, music, wood tech, and other classes. The cuts would eliminate the math specialist in the elementary schools, along with other important positions. And, on top of all that, the cuts would remove sports such as alpine skiing, football, and golf.
This little town has been rocking and rolling as one of the top districts in the state – both educationally and athletically. And we are watching it be devastated in front of our eyes.
Keep in mind, we’ve realized our success with a per-pupil cost that has declined annually for each of the past six years. For voters to harm our most vulnerable residents simply because the tax cut they seek wasn’t big enough is offensive and heartbreaking to watch.
SCOTT ZIPKE
Hopkinton