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 June 28, 2025.
Thank you for your comprehensive reporting on June 26, 2025 on the proposed school budget for Regional School District #17. It is a service to the community to provide factual information about the budget in view of recent misinformation.
We are now facing the third referendum in Haddam and Killingworth, scheduled for Tuesday, July 8, 2025 to vote on the District #17 Board of Education’s budget. A copy of the proposed budget is on file in the Killingworth Town Clerk’s office. The updated budget has reduced the gross budget from a 3.98% increase to a 3.07% increase. Any further cuts
are predicted to seriously impact middle school athletics, student services, and after-school bus transportation.
According to Board of Education members, who are dedicated to providing quality education in our local community, “there is no more fat to trim.” Why should we care? Our kids are our future. It is our responsibility to prepare them for the highly technological global society in which they live. Further, our national security depends on their intellectual resources and skills, and competent educators to teach them. Let us begin to think beyond our immediate concerns and penny-pinching mentality, and vote for our future. A commitment to local education is even more crucial today with the recent dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education.
The polling location in Killingworth is at Killingworth Elementary School, 340 Route 81. Polling hours are from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Please plan to vote by absentee ballot if you are concerned about summer temperatures or have travel plans. Let us step up now for quality education for our kids, and vote “YES” for the school budget on July 8th.
Claire M. Walsh, Killingworth
