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To the Editor:
I must admit I
am in a state of "shock and awe" when
I read the headline in last week's Goffstown
News.
A 5.2 percent increase, for a budget School
Board member Mr. Philip Pancoast said, "the
proposed budget is about as low as it can go
without compromising quality of
education." Then later he says
"provides essential services in a fiscally
responsible manner." I would like to
ask him and the school board to define
"quality education" and "fiscally
responsible."
One only has to look at the last three years of
school tax rates to see just how "fiscally
responsible" the School Board has
been. From 2007 to 2009, the school tax
rate alone, based on $1,000 of assessed value,
was 21.15 percent higher than the state average
in 2007; in 2008, 19.83 percent higher than the
state average; and 2009, the rate was 2.84
percent higher. This gives an overall
average of 14.61 percent higher than the state
average for the three years. This
information comes form the New Hampshire
Department of Education Financial Reports.
I have not included 2010-11 as the reports have
not been published and the school department did
return $2.7 million in unreserved fund
balance. For this, we thank you, School
Board.
"Quality of education" is another
matter. Look at the Fall 2009 NECAP
results, again from the New Hampshire Department
of Education, school district profile
site. Looking at the district summary in
four areas: reading, mathematics, writing and
science. We find that in a summary of the
four above areas, the Goffstown School District
has 64.16 percent of tthe students in the top
two levels and 35.84 percent in the bottom two
levels.
I do not call this "quality of
education," not for the dollar cost we are
being asked to approve.
I echo the comments of Mr. Guy Caron,
"We're top-heavy on
administration." I as the school
committee to please reconsider the budget for
2011-12 and adjust it to the 10 percent decrease
you were asked to come in with.
I spent over 30 years in all areas of public
education and administration.
Benjamin H. Hampton
Goffstown
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