Care about the kids in Springfield schools

Charis Boke
Springfield, Vt.
To the editor,

I am writing to support the passage of Springfield’s revised school budget. On town meeting day, only 18 percent of registered voters in Springfield turned out to exercise their democratic right to vote on issues of social and political importance. Voters made it clear that we care, as a town, about care: we approved funding for visiting nurse and hospice services, for Meals on Wheels, for mentorship programs, the Family Center, the Women’s Freedom Center, and Turning Point Recovery, to name just a few. It’s clear that our town cares about taking care of one another, to the best of our ability. Why do we not extend that care to the kids in our schools? 

I’m not a parent, nor am I affiliated with the public school system, but I do teach at the Community College of Vermont, and I believe there are many reasons to value education. One of the ones most on my mind right now is that kids and youth in our town spend so much time at school — there are so many opportunities to support and care about them there. Teachers and administrators support them in exploring their own interests; in learning new skills and communication tools; in navigating challenging social dynamics with peers and in the world at large.

Our public schools have the opportunity to intervene meaningfully, by caring deeply about students — but the opportunity is made less available every time our votes say “no, we won’t fund the kind of facilities, materials, and teacher labor that our students deserve.” Why did we vote down the budget, making it so that the school board was forced to cut three positions: a high school English teacher, a math teacher, and a staff member working in custodial services have all lost their jobs as a result of our “no” vote. Why do we approve funding for other kinds of care — medical, social services, food support — but not for the kind of care that happens through education in our schools, and not for the teachers and staff working hard to educate and care for our town’s kids?

If you are confused or concerned about the budget, and the process of re-doing it, there will be an informational meeting Thursday, April 25, at 7 p.m. at the Springfield High School. Voting will take place on Tuesday, April 30, at Riverside Middle School. Please get out there, Springfield voters, and vote Yes on the school budget for the coming year.

 

Charis Boke

Springfield, Vt.