Tuesday, as you know, is Election Day in Franklin. I hope you will get to the polls to cast your votes for candidates for Town Council, School Committee, and other positions, including Board of Health and Board of Assessors. I am seeking my third full term as a volunteer member of the School Committee and once again I ask for your support. In my view, our schools face three priorities in the next two years:
Budget – We were able to balance the current year’s budget with state and federal stimulus money, a wage freeze for school employees, and budget cuts. Our task will be no easier when we begin working with Superintendent Maureen Sabolinski to create the fiscal 2011 budget. The stimulus monies that helped us this year will not be available next year. It also seems clear that our state aid will be threatened and local revenues will likely fail to keep pace with rising costs.
Franklin High School – Principal Peter Light and his team have made big strides in strengthening the academic and cultural atmosphere of FHS. We need to continue to support those improvements while also finalizing a plan for addressing the building’s structural deficiencies and classroom capabilities. Community support will be critical to move forward with the renovations that will help Franklin High deliver a competitive experience for our students.
Efficient Academic Excellence – The Franklin Public Schools remain a fantastic bargain in a community that offers a nice quality of life with incredibly low property tax rates. Your schools spend well below average in every cost category, but your students consistently score well above average on every academic benchmark. It’s a record to be proud of, but it’s highly unlikely to continue unless we provide more financial support and reduce our reliance on state aid.
The contested race for Franklin Town Council demands your attention on Tuesday. Twelve candidates are running for nine Council seats. In addition to having the final say on school spending, the new Council will face tough decisions on how to fund and manage public safety, public works and other services that are important to our quality of life and property values.
You can learn more about the Town Council candidates at:
http://www.milforddailynews.com/homepage/x876590732/Meet-the-candidates-for-Franklin-Town-Council
Please take the time to vote for the candidates of your choice on Tuesday. It’s important to make your voices heard to those who seek to represent you. I will be outside the Field House at various times during the day. I hope you’ll say hello. And thank you for your support.
These e-mails are provided as a constituent service. I try to distribute at least one e-mail update each month during the school year, as issues warrant. As always, I welcome your thoughts and suggestions. If you are receiving duplicate e-mails or if you no longer wish to receive these e-mails, please let me know and I will remove you from the distribution list. If you know of someone you would like to add to the list, please send along their e-mail address.
Thank you!
Ed Cafasso, Member
Franklin School Committee
edcafasso@comcast.net
No comments:
Post a Comment