Letter: School Committee ‘without the proceeds from this override, our schools face a detrimental and deteriorating future’

Dear editor,

Grafton School Committee would like to express our collective support of the proposed $4 million Proposition 2 1/2 override on the ballot for June 23rd which is urgently needed to allow our schools to maintain the current level of services for the children of Grafton. Grafton Public Schools have long delivered high-quality services on extraordinarily lean budgets. There is a long and traceable history that proves that, when compared to other districts, Grafton does more with less money. This has been the case for years and we strongly encourage community members to compare the numbers themselves. However, without the proceeds from this override, our schools face a detrimental and deteriorating future. Loss of personnel, large class sizes, inability to maintain technology in our classrooms, and significant loss of athletic programs are only the beginning of what is to come without funding from an override.

Back in 2014, the School Department benefitted from an override that was intended to last five years. The School Department, through outstanding leadership and judicious spending, stretched the proceeds from the 2014 override to last six years. The request for this override does not stem from irresponsibility around school spending but rather a fundamental and inherent flaw in our town’s ability to build enough tax revenue to sustainably fund municipal and educational operations. While there are many reasons for this sad but true fact, the bottom line is this: we cannot ask Grafton’s students to suffer as a result of it. Tax increases are always difficult to accept. This year’s catastrophic events make that even more true. However, throughout these trying times, we have all learned the incredible value Grafton schools bring to students, their families and the community. Schools are so much more than buildings; they are in many ways the foundation- structurally, socially, developmentally, intellectually- of our children’s lives. Please join us in supporting Grafton Public Schools by supporting this override and voting yes on June 23rd. Our children’s education and the well-being of our community depend on it.

Regards,

Laura Often, Chair
Jennifer Connelly, Vice Chair
Melissa Mazan, Clerk
Amy Marr
Heather Riley