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Schools Are a Priority in Our Town Soon after newspaper headlines announced budget cuts to affect Massachusetts cities and towns, Arlington residents on a Sunday afternoon at the Community Safety Building. We gathered to share our concern about cuts in the town budget for the next fiscal year. At that meeting there was overwhelming support for the formation of a permanent group intended to advocate at the state and local level for Arlington public schools and to increase parents and community participation in decisions that directly affect children in this community. SPOT is developing our specific goals, strategies, and identity. The group represents Arlington residents from diverse backgrounds who share a common concern for our schools. At the same time, we understand the difficulty of balancing the costs of education with the costs of other important town services. There are no easy answers.
SPOT members meet with our local and state government officials to express our concerns about the ongoing funding crisis. We monitor, analyze, and participate in the school budget process to protect direct services to our children during these times of budget cuts. We inform parents and community members about opportunities for input into the budget process and urge parents to run for open Town Meeting seats. We are preparing for a long-term effort to increase financial support for our schools including alternative ways of funding education in our state, private fundraising, and grants. We will be having a general meet for interested community members in the early fall. To learn more about SPOT, please contact Nancy Barry at 781 648 2720 or join our email discussion list. To join send an email to thinkofourkids-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Nancy Barry |
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