To the Editor,
I have written many emails in the past expressing my support to increase the Board of Education budget. I often feel as though it has fallen on deaf ears since I very seldom have received a response back, so I will attempt to keep this short.
We are in unprecedented times, and I have always known how important our teachers are, and our schools in general. Now, I can’t even put a price tag on the importance of them. My kids are adjusting to distant learning, but they are having a very difficult time.
They are having a difficult time because they miss their teachers, they love their teachers. The impact they have had on them is immeasurable. They miss their school. My kids actually want to be in school! That says a lot about our teachers and our school.
We are extremely lucky to have the school and teachers that we have, but each year more and more has been taken away. There is nothing left to take without taking away even more things that will be detrimental to our children.
The overall increase of 4.24% is approximately $3 a week extra for a household paying approximately $10K in taxes annually. I am not trying to diminish any hardships people may be experiencing, but that number is not worth taking more away from our children, schools and our property values.
There are currently many people living in our town or around our town from New York. Many are actually looking to move to Easton or a neighboring town since COVID-19. I fear that we will have an influx of students and we will not be prepared for it.
I again would just like to state that I fully support the 4.24% increase and would actually like to see it higher so we could get back to five sections across the board in each grade so we stop the carousel of switching teachers around every year. No more cuts.
Nikki Kaldawy
Easton
