GMR Budget - Letter to parents

Are there any other Great Meadows parents here who received the email yesterday from the Superintendent? He said he was disappointed in the lack of parents attending the defeated budget meeting, and was "disheartened" by the "anti-school faction" that was there.

I am greatly offended by this letter and his insinuation that anyone who thinks the school district is spending too much money is a bad parent. How dare he! Maybe people just can't afford to keep paying and paying. And who wants to go to a public meeting and announce to all of your neighbors that you can not afford your taxes, then have your child suffer the consequences at school? Not me.

From what I heard, one of the woman at the last meeting who supported some of the cuts being proposed, has always been very involved in the school and supportive of the district in the past. Now, all of a sudden she is "anti-school?"

So BING, I will NOT be at the next budget meeting, because I have to WORK. Does that make me a bad parent and "anti-school?"

I live in independence and thought the tone could of been a little different. I understand not wanting your taxes to increase or that you cannot afford them to increase, but I don't see where they are going to make the cuts. It will only hurt the children in the long run. As a parent you already provide crayons, pencils, markers and I think I've gotten a leter home three times that the class needed more glue sticks. I can't remember if it was last year or the year before they were asking parents to donate copy paper because they ran out. We are already a bookless school, and have cut down on the papers sent home. I know a lot of people think the teachers are overpaid, but I wouln't want that job for anything in the world. Also if we don't pay a competive salary we are going to loose them to another district. We have some really good teachers. I did not attend either of the meetings I forgot about the first one to be honest, and tonight I have to stay home with my child. There is no easy answer.

Just another thought we do have books in the classroom, but they do not come home. If I read the budget correctly Independence taxes on a $700,000 house would of only increased $49 most people like my self it would of been way below that. I think people got confused because of the full day kindergarden budget which would of increased taxes a lot more. For anyone who wants to read budget info and the letter that was sent out go to the gmr school district website and click public notices.