Letter To the Amherst Bulletin:
The Amherst School Committee and the Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee have endorsed the three-year financial plan called "The Amherst Plan." We ask that you also endorse this plan and vote "yes" on May 1.
Your "yes" vote means there will be: 1) major budget cuts this year, but 3 percent budgets instead of 1 percent budgets, 2) fixed budgets caps for three years to control spending and provide budget predictability and stability, 3) commitment to aggressively pursue additional revenue sources and appropriate economic growth, 4) rebuilding of the town's Reserves for emergencies and future financial security, 5) a $2.5 million override this year to support the three-year plan and no additional overrides for at least three years.
Massachusetts and federal income tax cuts have caused drastic cuts in school funding. Simultaneously, the costs of running schools and educating all students have increased dramatically, and many are beyond our control. Health insurance costs for school employees have increased almost $2.5 million in the past three years. Charter schools take almost $500,000 from Amherst's state funding. State and federal governments continuously add expensive unfunded mandates and regulations. The inevitable result has been deeper cuts every year in the parts of school budgets spent on education.
School budgets are mainly people. Budget cuts mean cutting people, cutting classes these people teach, cutting programs these people provide, cutting services students need, and increasing class sizes. To cut over $2 million from the 2006-07 school budgets, the schools had to cut 22.5 teaching positions, 22 paraprofessionals, clerical staff, programs, books, and supplies.
For next year's budget, even with the override, the schools will still cut almost $1.5 million: two administrators, 17.5 teachers, other staff positions, physical education for juniors and seniors, the middle school pool, etc.
If the override vote fails, school budgets will drop to the 1 percent increase budgets. The schools will lose nine additional teachers and over $175,000 of other cuts. Every high school student will be required to enroll in two study halls, more regional class sizes will climb above 25 or 30, more elementary class sizes will increase to 25 or 26, and books and supplies will be cut further.
The quality and future of Amherst schools depends on your vote on May 1.
Elaine Brighty
Amherst
Source: Letters, The Amherst Bulletin, April 20, 2007
