Dear Editor,
I am writing to the community about the Owego-Apalachin School budget meeting that I attended on Feb. 25, 2015. I have been bothered ever since. It is both bothersome and concerning to me that we have members of our community that have the gall to suggest that we do something to bring down the number of our special education students. Our school board was actually asked what can be done to make it happen. Not because they are causing trouble, not because they are dangerous, not even because they can’t learn. It was because of the cost of educating them.
Mr. Chartrand, the member of the community making these statements, even went so far as to say “Aren’t some of them borderline?” Meaning can we get away with not giving them the service or services they need. Talk about discrimination!
I wonder how that he would feel if he had a family member who had special needs. Would he still want that child to move from the district? How about the families, how do they feel when things like this are said?
I am so proud of our school board for the way they came to the defense of those students and the staff that works with them. Every part of our special education department was being attacked. Those children are not the reason the budget is what it is. It is called life. Life expenses go up from year to year. Special education is just one piece of the budget.
Every child has a right for an education, and to sit there and hear a member from our community asking how to get rid of them was very disheartening. I am a taxpayer as well and I do not share those feelings at all. I am not happy at all about taxes. However, I do not and will not ever make a child or their families suffer just because they have a family member who learns differently.
Another area attacked was our beloved music department. A man from the community made a genuine heart felt plea to have monies restored to the budget for music. He mentioned our recent musical and how amazing all the students and staff were. He then spoke of the cuts to that department and how they are actually hurting students and hindering what they can accomplish. Everything he said was true. He was not asking for a certain sum, just to be remembered when putting the budget proposal together. Mr. Chartrand then attacked him, trying to belittle his request saying our budget has bigger problems than that, referring to our Special education department.
I don’t know if the public is aware of just how much the teachers and staff do on their own and of their own expense. From buying supplies the budget can’t pay for to gifts for our struggling families at the holidays. Our staff is there for their families and will always be there for them, even when nobody is looking.
I know I don’t speak for everyone, but I am in hopes that someone will read this and it will mean something to them. Maybe, enough to remember at voting time that their school board and Superintendent really and honestly fight for each and every student. They truly are the most important thing to our district. They stood up for all of us that night, school employees and families alike.
Thank you Dr. Russell and the School Board for all you do.
Sincerely,
Stephanie Darrah
Taxpayer and Parent
