OK, folks, it’s time to stop this nonsense of accusing the BHRSD School Committee of trying to “deceive” the voters about the high school renovation plan. The proposal before the voters is intelligent, sane, and sound.
Monument Mountain High School is closing in on its 50th year; things have changed a great deal in 50 years. I know this because I was born in the 1950s and have witnessed the changes myself. What was considered “modern” and “state of the art” 50 years ago is almost laughable by today’s standards. Think of your home furnishings, appliances, and — gosh! The idea of a computer in every home? Unthinkable! About the only thing that hasn’t changed is the steadfast No. 2 pencil.
Imagine this, your mother is looking at you dismayed when you say you need to buy a car seat for your toddler. “Well, I used to just toss you kids in the back seat of the station wagon! It was good enough for you, why isn’t it good enough for your child?”
The clear truth is that the community needs to invest in the upgrade/renovation. We’ve done the right thing in building Muddy Brook Elementary and Monument Valley Middle Schools. These two schools stand as proud testimony that we voters care about education and its role in a healthy community. Why not continue on this positive path and do the same for our high school?
Regardless of tax increases, (which will happen no matter what), I have to say that voters who choose NO are being short-sighted and downright selfish; furthermore, to vote NO would be to shoot yourselves in the foot! Â By not investing now, when we have this incredible opportunity to get almost HALF the cost of this project paid for by the state of Massachusetts, is foolish. We will not have this opportunity again for a decade or more.
If you NO voters really believe that fixing things as they break will be better, you are, quite simply, wrong. Your taxes will go up even more than this modest proposal before you and you will shake your heads in dismay, thinking, “Augh! I should’ve voted YES!”
Why not vote YES on Nov. 4 and save yourselves, our teachers, our school committee and our students a lot of grief?
Julia Erickson
Housatonic
