As a result of the vote outcome on Tuesday, i.e., not getting enough yes votes to reach the 60 percent supermajority requirement, the district is left with two dismal choices.
Dismal choice No 1: Present a revised budget with significant cuts and make a second attempt to ask the community to approve exceeding the cap. But how does the district decide how much to cut ($1 million? $2 million, 3?) to feel any confidence that enough new yes voters will come out to vote? This is a huge and risky gamble.
Dismal choice No. 2: Make the $4.5 million in cuts now to stay within the less than 2 percent allowable cap (contact your board, or CACLA, or the SCA or PASS for that explanation).
The $4.5 million in cuts – that’s not a risky gamble too?
And make no mistake about it, this is gambling with the educational future of every child attending our public schools. It’s also jeopardizing the economic future of this community.
I present this factual information – anyone who attended last night’s board meeting can back me up – to ask all who read this to send an e-mail to ask your questions, express your point of view and opinions, to either the board ( HYPERLINK “mailto:boe@manhasset.k12.ny.us” boe@manhasset.k12.ny.us) or Christy Weppler, the president of the School Community Association (SCA, at wazyabc@aol.com) or me (member of the Citizens Advisory Committee for Legislative Affairs (CACLA, at HYPERLINK “mailto:metomei@aol.com” metomei@aol.com) or the parent-driven committee PASS (at info@passmanhasset.com).
These are the actual choices this community is faced with now. A revised budget must be adopted by the Board of Eduction by Monday June 3. They need to hear from you today.
Marianne Tomei
Manhasset
