The Eastwick Press Newspaper

Eastern Rensselaer County's Community Newspaper

Letter To The Editor – A Lot To Say About The School Board

By

To the Editor,
I just came home from the BCS board meeting. I have a lot to say about the whole bond issue.
For many years, there were referendums put to the voters for repairs needed in our schools. It was always voted down. Then John Nash and Beverly Stewart started telling about all the health and safety problems. That finally opened up the voters’ eyes. John and Bev started the ball rolling. I really appreciate that.
Gina Goodermote and Jim Willis took that ball and did a lot of research on how to solve the problems. It has been said many times that the rest of the Board were left out of this planning. That was not the intention of either Gina or Jim. They did bring their findings to the Board and were bombarded by the opposition. There was an informational meeting prior to the vote. This meeting was open to all the taxpayers, parents and BOARD MEMBERS. I was at that meeting. There were only four board members there. Where were the other three?
When a referendum is brought up to the voters and the voters say yes, it doesn’t make sense to keep from doing what the voters want. I think the Board members should do what the voters want. Why bring it up in the first place?
People are getting very upset. They keep picking up the Eastwick paper and see that the Board still cannot agree. Everyone used to laugh at how ridiculous it is. Now people are getting mad and can’t wait for the new vote for Board members.
What the Board does or does not do affects our school. The teachers and non-instructional staff are under a lot of pressure. The atmosphere in the schools is terrible. This falls down on our children. The Board represents the school staff, taxpayers and the students. Let’s be adult and get on with what has to be done. There are other issues that need to be looked into. It’s time to move on.
I still have five grandchildren in this school district, and I care very much about their health and safety. I pray that the Board can get over whatever conflicts they have and move on. They need to set an example for our children. We teach our children to listen and compromise, but they hear something entirely different is going on with the SCHOOL BOARD.
Sincerely,
JoAnn Kellar
Berlin