We won’t beat around the bush here. This is a make-or-break year for Monadnock Schools. It has been a year since the Middle and High School was put on probation and a progress report is due this coming fall. If we do not begin to act now to meet the accreditation issues raised by the NEASC we’ll no longer have an accredited program at the high school, perhaps as early as 2009. Few people seem to realize just how serious the challenge is.
Last year, shortly after the NEASC put the high school on probation, citing lack of support for the schools and inadequate facilities, the proposed budget, with only a modest increase, failed. That failure represented the sixth straight year of “default” or below default budgets.
This year the ballot will include the operating budget, plus contracts for staff and teachers, who have worked without one for two years. If these ballots fail again at the polls and this information must be included in the next progress report, it does not bode well for the district.
The good news is there is something you can do about it. Join us in spreading the word - by making a commitment to talk about the issues with as many of your friends and neighbors as possible.Here are some things we have been working on to support our kids, schools and communities in the upcoming elections. We hope you will join us.
Warrant Article Support
Last year, after ten years at a warning status, our high school was put on probation. We were given 24 months to report back with progress on a list of problems including lack of public support for the schools and serious facility deficiencies at the middle and high schools. The next report to NEASC is due October 1, 2008.
There are several actions that can be resolved this year with broad support of the voters of the district. Passing the School Board and Budget Committee approved Budget (Article 1), Support Staff Contract (Articles 3), and Teachers Contract (Article 4) will be an excellent start to addressing our probationary status.
Should this year’s budgets and teacher contracts not pass, that failure, coming on the heels of six years of failed budgets, would seriously undermine efforts to retain our accreditation.
As we did last year, KFM! will create and mail a district wide “Voters Guide” to help communicate the importance and meaning of the sometimes confusing Warrant Articles. But we can’t do it without your financial help. Please consider a donation today to help us defray the estimated $2,500 in costs it will take to reach voters in all seven towns. Please consider a donation to help with these costs.
Yard Signs and Window Decals available!
We have produced attractive lawn signs and “static cling” window decals for your car. Please contact us at info@kidsfirstmonadnock.com if you would like either of these items to show your support and help promote growth in our membership.
Candidates that will put Kids First!
We continue our efforts to recruit candidates that will support our children and schools. The filing deadline is 5 p.m. on February 1st. Please let us know if you, or anyone you know, may be interested in running. There are positions available in Swanzey, Richmond, Fitzwilliam, and Gilsum.
Spread the Word!
To create sustainable support for our kids, schools, and communities we need to grow our membership. Please consider forwarding this email to your friends and encourage them to join our email list.
Thank you for your time and interest!
KFM!
Unless someone like you, cares a whole awful lot, nothing’s going to get better. It’s not.
– The Once-ler From Dr. Seuses’s book The Loarax
P.S. The Granite State Fair Tax Coalition has produced a video that explores the inequities of our state’s tax system. The system creates great disparities each year in how the cost of schooling are distributed - even if the budget stays flat some towns see a double digit increase. This creates an vicious cycle in which one town is pitted against another, where schools get blamed, and where for six years in a row our children have paid the price. Watch the video on the web.
