Recently, I watched Dr. Joseph Sawyer describe to the school committee his recommendations for school budget cuts if the override vote fails. It will be a dismantling of its excellent schools. The American public school system is an integral part of our democratic form of government. A town or city gains its reputation mainly through the rating of its schools. Parents who are planning to move to a town or city study the public schools carefully. The budget cuts, if a no vote prevails, will place the school system in a second place position and Shrewsbury will become a second rate town. That is not good for business investment. That is not good for the home owner who will experience a loss of property value over time. That is not good for the many students who already are drifting in classes of 30. If a no vote prevails the high school students will be in classes of 28-30 without timely feedback on their writing assignments and they will have to endure demonstration lessons in science instead of hands on lab work. These symptoms of a second rate school system are already apparent in Grades 5-6-7-8 with class sizes of 30. The teachers, counselors and administrators are making a heroic effort to provide an excellent education. One teacher said to me, “At the end of the day, I am depleted and discouraged.” For the citizens who moved to Shrewsbury for low taxes, your taxes will still be among the lowest in the state and I urge you to take pride in your community and vote yes on June 3rd.
Dr. John P. Collins-Former Shrewsbury School Superintendent
