PLEASE READ WITH AN OPEN MIND!!

I write this with a heavy heart. I also write it, knowing that there will most likely be many who will not agree with me, and I will likely get lots of nasty comments after. But I must put it down, possibly to make myself feel better. I’m sick of the bashing of one neighbor to another over this budget. Sick of it!! We elected a BOE. The constituents (VOLUNTEERS) ran unopposed this year. So first and foremost let me say if you feel that strongly about anything related to our district, why have you not run for the board? I don’t want to hear there was not enough time, there’s been a year to consider it. If you only thought to do it lately, perhaps you haven’t been paying attention all year long. This elected BOE has an obligation to do what they can for ALL of our children. I do not think they take this lightly! If you do, shame on you. Who in their right mind would volunteer for such a position, with no pay, knowing when big decisions need to be made they are guaranteed to hear resistance and unkind comments. Not me. I’m not ashamed to say I’m not the right person for that job. I have to trust that anyone that feels passionately enough to take it will do their very best to do it. They have to deal with what the state gives them. Perhaps you are not aware of the fact that they let us ride without a tax increase (0%) for years. That decision does not sit well with me. So before you think this is a PRO-BOE message, let me set you straight. I’m not PRO or AGANST the BOE. But I am a realist. I can step back from the issue and look at the factors and make an unbiased assessment. I wish that more people could. The finger pointing is doing no one any good! So let’s review what happened. The BOE put out a 7.49% budget to vote. They also gave us a contingency vote at the cap of 3.14%, and went so far to tell us that if both failed, EVERYTHING would be lost. So we voted. Yes, we had a majority YES vote for the 7.49% but we have that super majority in place so in essence we failed. Major disappointment. Then I have to see people saying WHAT NOW? Seriously, were you not paying attention when they put out the contingency vote? Why are you surprised at the items on the chopping block?! There should have been zero confusion on what would happen next! Now we have the contingency vote and the BOE holds numerous meetings. You as a community asked to be heard at these meetings. I imagine that your entire purpose for wanting to be heard was to try to sway the BOE to change things your way. Essentially in the direction of what your children probably needs next year. The BOE listened and with each meeting took your words to heart and tried to make changes in line with those who spoke from their heart and with such conviction! Do not kid yourself into thinking they did not hear you. Many of them made strong remarks in favor of many things that were up to be cut. Let’s not forget they have kids in this district too, who also stand to lose everything! Now the decision has been made. No one is happy. I’m sure enough to say it, so I’ll say it again, no one is happy. Now after the BOE listened to the community and tried to make changes to benefit as many children as they can, you want to crucify them for making changes to an “already announced 3.14% budget”. If you didn’t want them to consider changes to the second budget, why then did so many of you come out to speak?! What you’re really unhappy about is that it wasn’t changed to what YOU wanted for YOUR children. Isn’t that the truth? They could have easily cut the non-mandated full day kindergarten and taken the easy way out but they compromised to get your little ones at least a half a day to prepare them for 1st grade in this district!! And now you crucify them for trying to compromise! To make matters worse, there are people who still don’t realize the impact of a NO vote for this contingency budget. If the vote fails this time, NOTHING comes back people. EVERYTHING will be gone. Forget Kindergarten you’ll lose all of it. Forget sports, clubs etc…. the kids will end up with NOTHING!! NOTHING!! I cannot stress it enough!! How do we still have people who do not understand the impact!!?? This is a district very close to my heart. I was a Sachem child and my parents moved my 4 older siblings and me to the district back in 1969 to make a better life for us. Unfortunately one sibling and me did not have the luxury of graduating from Sachem. But it always held a special place in my heart and I didn’t think twice about moving back here knowing one day I’d have kids of my own. I wanted them to have that same opportunity growing up and intend to stay here for their full education. Now I’m so sad. So sad because not only are we in this position, but I’m so sad that we have misdirected ANGER! We are ANGRY, there is no denying it. Let’s own it!!!! But people, can’t we at least come together as a community and all stand together at the face of the enemy? The enemy is not the BOE. The ENEMY is the STATE. They pulled our funding. They gave us the finances that essentially equate to what we got in 2005-2006. They denied us the additional funds to raise our children properly!! They accepted us in Albany but did nothing when they heard our cries!! They imposed the Common Core Curriculum on us! THEY ARE THE ONES WHO DO NOT MANDATE FULL DAY KINDERGARTEN!! Shame on us. Shame on us for fighting with each other. Shame on us for not tackling the true enemy. Guess what, when people can’t fight the issue, they fight each other. Stop fighting each other and fight the issue!! I challenge you all to get it in gear and start fighting the enemy!! Make this year the year we make a change at the STATE LEVEL!! I pray, yes that’s right I said it I pray. I pray that we can be guided as a community to rise up against the true enemy of our children and push for a future for them. Not a short-term solution, but a long -term solution that will take our children through their most important part of youth. The part of their youth that prepares them for the rest of their life!