To the editor: Education reform bill a cause for concern

As a teacher and mother, it looks to me like the state’s education reform bills with larger class sizes and larger districts will lower teacher and community control. However, my largest concern about the possible legislation is that I’m unsure what the tax savings will actually be since there are so many unaccounted for costs for the proposed education changes:

• Expense for student travel with consolidation (we also currently have a bus driver shortage);
• Capital costs with consolidation;
• Special Education costs are bound to rise in larger classrooms (and we are at risk of losing major federal funding)’
• The homestead exemption being withdrawn;
• A wide range of predictions for the cost of new positions to run this new model & increased transition costs to move toward the new system;
• The student cap funding model that potentially leaves schools, in areas where it costs more to educate kids, at the risk of inequitably paying for it locally or not receiving sufficient funding. It also potentially means wasteful spending at schools that don’t require the money cap amount;
• A major negative economic effect on small towns from closing community schools, which will also certainly not attract new families to small towns in our state (let’s increase our tax base);
• A wide range of proposals about vouchers, lottery system, and school choice, which may also not be a good use of taxpayer money;
• Merging educator contracts in larger districts will most certainly increase teacher salary costs.

I might be willing to sacrifice education quality if there weren’t so many standing questions about the actual economic costs/savings of the reform. To our state lawmakers – please don’t increase my taxes to decrease my children’s educational quality and decrease my supports as a teacher.

Thank you for your time and all your efforts.

Wendi Dowst-McNaughton
Cavendish