To the Editor,
I write today in response to Rob Fitzgibbon’s letter to the editor (Manchester Cricket, 2/7/25), deemed a “reflection” on my February 6th letter. I welcome the discourse and would like to further my position advocating for a level funded school budget since I was named in the headline.
Like Mr. Fitzgibbons, I too have been doing a great deal of reflection and soul searching concerning the state of public education. However, the conclusions I have reached are quite different from those he voices in his letter. As both a veteran public educator, and as a mother, I increasingly recognize that molding our children to be critical thinkers, creative learners, and inquisitive citizens is a complicated and complex challenge. It is our collective responsibility to support the equitable education of our children and provide them with opportunities that will strengthen our society. Unfortunately, when it comes to supporting our public schools, and working together to understand what a modern education requires, we continue to have positions that are biased by our individualism, narrow views, and personal experiences.
Why do we continue to ask our schools to shoulder the burden and cut essential educational services, even when all of the research shows that we need to allocate more funding and resources towards our schools? I ask my neighbors in Manchester and Essex: Are you interested in supporting learning environments that are safe and effective for students to think critically? Are you committed to preparing our children for a constantly evolving and competitive job market? Do you believe it is important to invest in building a strong literacy foundation?
To define a school budget as being about “income, not just expenses; capabilities, not just needs and wants” is ultimately short-sighted. If it means we must “increase our income” in order to have a principal at the middle school level, then we need to meet those necessary “expenses” with an override. Ten- to fourteen-year-olds are in the throes of monumental changes when it comes to brain development and growth. It is difficult enough to recruit and retain talented teachers with expertise in working with this age group and their intensive needs. It would be a great disservice to our middle schoolers, and their teachers, to be without a school leader who is focused on these critical years of development.
It is a slippery slope to have community members weighing in on resolving the budget shortfall by cutting courses they see as frivolous, or suggesting that we find solutions in fundraisers or educational foundations. It is demoralizing and inequitable even to present these kinds of suggestions, as they belittle and simplify the work that is done in our schools every day.
Last May, my neighbor graduated from MERHS and I was fortunate enough to join in his celebration alongside family and friends. As I witnessed the joy and pride in the eyes of parents and grandparents at the party, while they reveled in the accomplishments of their ambitious, smart, empathetic, thoughtful children, I felt so fortunate to live in this community. I had a little glimpse into the future as I watched these graduates. It left me so hopeful for the next generation of MERSD children, knowing that years from now we will be watching them chart their own path and realize their full potential. Benjamin Franklin once said, “An investment in education always pays the highest returns.” I trust all of the children in Manchester and Essex will have the same opportunities and support that the class of 2024 were able to have.
We must craft a school budget that reflects and represents our values and vision for the future. As a community we need to come together and fully fund our schools. I can’t think of a better way to invest my tax dollars.
Warmly,
Sarah Stone
Manchester
