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SPOT Organizing Committee
c/o Sharon Grossman
16 Peabody Rd.
Arlington MA 02476


Board of Selectmen
Town of Arlington
Town Hall
Arlington, MA 02476


October 23, 2003

Dear members of the Board of Selectmen:

We are writing to ask you for some simple facts on the current budget situation.

Here are the facts as we know them:

  • Arlington's teachers have an unsettled contract and are threatening "work to rule."
  • Arlington's teacher pay scale is lower than that of many neighboring school systems, which compete for our teachers.
  • Superintendent Kay Donovan says she has no funds to offer a pay raise.
  • More than 100 teachers and staff have left the school system due to lay-offs, resignations and retirements following a failed override.
  • The school system spent many thousands of dollars to train these individuals, only to see our investment lost to other communities who hired them.
  • Teacher morale is low.
  • Many classes are too large to properly meet students' educational needs.
  • School programs have been slashed at every level.
  • The state has just announced that state funds for special education will be far lower than previously indicated, meaning Arlington will need to allocate more funds from our local budget to meet the legally-mandated requirements of special ed programs.

Selectmen Charles Lyons has stated that the town can spend $5 million now held in reserves, with the implication that these funds could be used to meet the urgent needs of the school system. This statement seems to contradict budget information presented at an October 14 budget workshop, and at other budget sessions, by the Acting Town Manager and members of the Finance Committee.

Arlington citizens deserve some truth from town officials. Exactly how much money is available in reserves, and how much can the town safely spend without placing Arlington's financial solvency at risk?

If there really are reserve funds available to meet the School Department's needs, please show us the money. Our schools are suffering! The schools so far have borne the brunt of the cuts resulting from the town's budget crisis, and town officials must do everything in their power to correct the situation.

Sincerely,

Liz Buchanan
Marvin Lewiton
Sharon Grossman
Mary Megson
Jennifer Sharpe Potter
Jan Stetson
Colleen Kirby Cho
Charlotte Pierce
Judi Paradis
Marlene Rockmore
Leslie Mayer
Members of the Organizing Committee, Schools are a Priority in Our Town (SPOT)

Cc: Town Manager's Office
Arlington Finance Committee
Arlington School Committee