The views stated here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editors of this newspaper. We welcome supporting or opposing views on any published item. Received May 9, 2025.
As you may know, the annual school budget referendum that took place this past Tuesday
failed with barely 40% of the votes going toward approving the budget. I have great respect for the democratic institutions that hold our society together, and I make no attempt to challenge the clearly spoken will of the 13% of active voters who turned out for the referendum, but I would like to offer what seems to be an increasingly crowded-out perspective on this issue.
In almost exactly a month, I will walk across the stage at the Haddam-Killingworth High School graduation, and for all effective purposes, my ties to this district will be cut. The passage of this budget, with or without modification, will have little effect on me at all, and I think that gives me a unique level of objectivity on the matter.
As released, the first version of the budget included a nominal increase of 4.88%, and a
real increase of approximately 2.4%. The budget being voted on is not going to put real walls in the high school, or bring accessibility standards up to code; in fact it will only marginally increase teacher salaries. A very large part of the budget increase over the past year is due to fluctuations in transportation costs, and tuition rates for students the district is accountable for, neither of which can be cut in any way. As things stand, the district is already forced to choose which holes to patch on a sinking ship, and forcing cuts to teacher salaries and resources is absolutely a strike against our students and our community.
I would like to briefly respond to the letter written by Mr. Nunes in which he makes a few
claims that I believe might misrepresent the nature of the referendum at hand. Specifically, he claims that the impending vote on a new school building spooked voters who think the price tag is too high. I myself have attended multiple meetings on the new school building, and I have heard the full spectrum of opinions on it. To those who do not think a new building is justified, I say this: when the new building is put to a vote, vote against it.
The new building was not on the ballot in this week’s referendum, and killing the budget only cuts the resources provided to students. It does nothing to stop any future projects. Mr. Nunes also claimed that uncertainty over the future of the superintendent also stoked fears, which would be a valid criticism if shooting down the budget simultaneously selected a new superintendent, or if the superintendent had free rein over the allocation of funds within the year, but neither is true.
Once the budget is passed, it is no longer under the superintendent’s control. Our schools need whatever they can get, and a real increase of 2.4% is not the reason this budget failed. This budget failed because of a poor public image, and a lack of trust in the institutions that surround it. I hope my pleas are understood, and that you see both sides of this pressing issue.
Whether the budget is increased by 2% or slashed by 10%, our students still have to show up. If the teachers are underpaid, if the building is decades below standard, and if student opportunities are shrinking each year, the children of our towns still have to show up. Please, vote to make the schools they come to each morning better than they were this year. Please, for students like me, pass the school budget.
Elias Lowrey, Haddam
