We did it!
To the editor:
We did it! The St. Michael’s property is saved forever, thanks to everyone in our town, and especially, the people at the D&R Greenway. I want to thank all the people who came to Failte every weekend to see me and give me spare change. Some people gave larger amounts or wrote checks. I had some very special donors who made a big difference. Thank you! I am a little sad that this is all over now, but I am glad the St. Michael’s property is OK. I will miss going to Failte and seeing the people who donated money. I will miss talking about the effort to raise money and telling people about the need to save the land. But I will not miss worrying about the land, because now I know it is safe. I can’t wait to see all of you on the trails when the property is open!
Callie Considine
Hopewell Borough
Be informed voter!
To the editor:
At a recent public meeting on the progress of next year’s school budget, an unhappy woman demanded to know why last year, after voters defeated the budget, did the school board go back and make more cuts. Apparently, she was dissatisfied with the cuts made to the proposed budget before it was put to the voters and interpreted the second round of cuts as a slap in the face to the voters who turned the budget down.
The woman’s misinformed anger, however, serves as a good illustration of how complicated the process of school finance elections is and how important it is for citizens to become informed before they vote. (For the record, defeated budgets are turned over to the elected municipal officials in the sending towns and it is they who determine the tax levy. If they cut the levy, the board must cut the operation.)
To help taxpayers understand the complex issues behind the development of their local school budget, the school board last fall set out to make the current budget planning cycle the most open one ever.
Beginning in December:
The Board opened and televised all meetings of its finance committee, where department heads and principals outlined their needs for the coming year, as well as demonstrated their efforts to economize.
All Powerpoint presentations made at these meetings were posted to the Web site.
Podcasts of some presentations were made available through the Web site.
Superintendent Judy Ferguson scheduled six informal coffees, held at various times of the day to accommodate all schedules, where citizens could learn the latest budget developments directly from her and board leaders. The last two are tomorrow, at 7 p.m., and Wednesday, April 11 at 10 a.m.
For parent convenience, she set up 10 more meetings at the schools. Like the coffees, they have drawn well.
Extensive budget pages were posted to the district Web site, carrying information about funding priorities, changes and overall fiscal direction (Dr. Ferguson’s "More with Less" presentation to the Board Feb. 12) A line item budget is posted there, as is comparative data, and an assortment of election information, from how to submit an absentee ballot to polling locations for the April 17 vote.
Tomorrow brings another opportunity to learn, when the Board shares its tentative budget in a special, public meeting with municipal leaders. Final budget adoption is set for next Monday. Vigorous debate is a healthy feature in a democracy, but the very best debate is an informed one. So listen, learn, watch, question, attend. So that when you pull that curtain behind you on April 17, you do it in the most responsible way possible informed.
JoAnn Meyer, director
Communications and Development,
Valley schools
Not only about money
To the editor:
If the school budget goes down this year in Hopewell Valley, it will not be only about the money. This year it will also be a referendum on the sitting school board members and the administration. Neither listen.
I think of the school board meetings as technically being "open to the public" but with the members and Judith Ferguson really sitting under a soundproof bubble ("cone of silence?"). They hear each other, but they don’t hear us. We are left to figuratively beat on the bubble, but we are ignored.
Issue after issue they tell us how much they care about the public, the students, and keeping control of costs. Then their actions show they ignore the public, the students, and keeping control of costs.
We have had very articulate letters recently regarding the auto shop program and how valuable that is to so many students. It is so popular it is "oversubscribed"! Does this matter to the school board and administration? No. Dump it.
How about the elementary strings program? Nope. Dump it.
Keep busing for hazardous routes? What’s that you say can’t hear you "not my job."
Football referendum? The school board action’s on that was to thumb their nose at the 2-to-1 vote against a football program. Sorry, school board wanted football.
Make the budget available on the Internet? Not willingly until this month and still not clearly understandable.
Keep extracurricular sports a program without charges? (Whoever heard of parents having to pay for their children’s school sports programs?) Nope, looks like a good source of revenue.
And on an on we go. I, for one, would love to see people on the school board who weren’t the Stepford Wives of the administration. This collective arrogance has got to stop.
Billie Moore
Hopewell Township
The Stiles legacy
To the editor:
Ted Stiles will be greatly missed. Everyone who cares about protecting the environment locally, regionally and globally will miss him. He leaves a legacy that will be difficult, if not impossible, for one person to fill. That means it is the responsibility of all of us to do our part to protect the environment.
The recent successful community support to raise the funds to purchase St. Michael’s is just one of the projects we all can be proud of. I would like to share Ted’s own words as they were written in his letter to the editor in the Hopewell Valley News, November 2, 2006. "I continue to help in preserving open space in Hopewell Township because I love our open vistas and the cool forests. I continue to learn more about our wonderful natural heritage, and I feel our quality of life is enhanced by the preservation of the recreational opportunities, the biodiversity and the scenic wonder of our landscape. Not only that, but preserved open space cleans our water and air, reduces flooding, soil erosion, and noise. In addition the economic benefits are great, globally, regionally and locally.
Globally the preservation of our natural habitat reduces global warming by storing carbon from carbon dioxide and enhances air quality through the filtering capacity of plants. Regionally the great costs of floods that have impacted New Jersey taxpayers recently are reduced by the sponge-like capacity of preserved soils and forests, and the quality of our surface and groundwater is increased by the natural processes on preserved lands. Locally open space enhances property values of current residents and reduces the numbers of new homes that only add to the negative tax burden on residents."
Could anyone express the need to protect the environment any better? What legacy for protecting the environment will we leave for our children and our children’s children?
Gene Ramsey
Hopewell Township
Daher gets support
To the editor:
I would like to state my support of high school principal, Michael Daher, and his recommendation to stop the Middle States evaluation process. On several occasions this year, Mr. Daher explained the rationale behind his recommendation, drawing upon not only his years of experience as a high school principal, but also his experience with overseeing the Middle States process at schools in other districts. Each time, he has pointed out the waning importance of Middle States, that any positive aspects of such a review are already being achieved as standard practice and to meet No Child Left Behind requirements, and that pursuing Middles States would not be the best use of our resources.
Mr. Daher has done a remarkable job of getting to know our high school and of implementing positive change in the few months that he has been here. He considers issues from all angles, but the final measure is always what the impact is on the students. When he tells parents that if he thought even one student could be adversely affected by discontinuing Middle States, he would not have recommended it, I believe him. I also believe he has the experience to reach that conclusion.
Mr. Daher’s judgement regarding Middle States is sound and based on clear rationale. I trust and remain impressed by his experience and his commitment to our children.
Lynn Gustafson
Hopewell Township
Stiles Conservation Fund
To the editor:
On March 7, Ted Stiles died. With his passing we feel a profound sense of loss in our own hearts and at the heart of our community. The sheer breadth and depth of his involvement in conservation is astounding. At the time of his death, Ted was President of Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space (FoHVOS), chaired the Hopewell Township Environmental Commission, Hopewell Valley Open Space Advisory Committee, and Mercer County Open Space Preservation Board, was Treasurer of the Crossroads of the American Revolution Association, President of the Municipal Land Use Center at The College of New Jersey, supported New Jersey Trails Association, and ran the Clean Communities twice annual road clean-up event. Over the years, Ted chaired or served on the boards of the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association, D&R Greenway Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy’s New Jersey Chapter, Planned Parenthood Association of the Mercer Area, and the Willowwood Foundation and was treasurer of Congressman Rush Holt’s re-election campaign.
Professionally, Ted was a full professor in Rutgers University’s Department of Ecology, where he trained and mentored the next generation of conservationists. He was passionate about birds and devoted decades to their study.
Ted was also a devoted father, husband, and brother who kept in close contact with his extended family through annual visits to Great Britain and North Carolina.
Because of Ted’s ambitious conservation vision, his imprint can be seen in every field, forest, stream, and clean roadside in the Valley. Through FoHVOS, Ted permanently preserved over 3,500 acres and led the preservation of Curlis Lake Woods and Baldpate Mountain. He also helped the Watershed negotiate and build its 860-acre preserve through which many of us connect to nature and are nourished by local organic produce.
Ted was an experienced and tough negotiator, which enabled every precious dollar of our state, county, township and borough open space funds to stretch further. Ted knew the history and status of every parcel of land in the Valley and with him on the job, we all could rest soundly. With Ted’s passing we are faced with a tremendous void in leadership. It will require the sustained commitment of a virtual army of people volunteers and paid professionals to even attempt to keep up with his pace of land protection. In a word, we will need you to help carry on his vision. Please, consider how you could offer your time, leadership, and resources to ensure that these organizations remain sound. Ted always found the time to contribute to conservation, knowing full well that houses, pavement, and their related pollution are forever.
Ted’s family established the Ted Stiles Conservation Fund through the Watershed Association to ensure the long-term protection of the Hopewell Valley. The fund will extend Ted’s legacy through future generations and will memorialize his passion for conservation. Contributions can be sent c/o Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association, 31Titus Mill Road, Pennington, 08534.
Friends of Hopewell
Valley Open Space:
Jessica Wilkinson,
vice president
John Jackson,
vice president
Pat Sziber, secretary
Bob Johnston, treasurer
Don’t cut strings
To the editor:
There is a secret in the proposed school budget that I want to tell. I spent the better part of two days last week talking to people who do not want their names divulged, but who have explained to me the following:
Next year’s budget will cut the primary music program by 50 percent.
I am told the school board is spinning this by saying the primary strings program will be "condensed" into the music program. Currently, first, second and third grade in the elementary schools have one period of violin per week and one period of music per week. Next year, they will have only one period of music, which may or not incorporate violin into the curriculum.
This is the secret: cutting strings will not save any money.
District officials have been heard to say that they are going to replace that period with more social studies and science; however, they can not do that because the amount of time teachers teach is bargained for in their contract.
Teachers use the periods during which their students are otherwise occupied (with specials like music and gym) for planning, individualized student aid, correcting work, meetings, and other professional obligations. If they lose strings, they lose what is called "duty-free prep time," which must be negotiated with the teacher’s union, who are extremely unlikely to let that happen.
No matter what, someone will have to be paid to teach the kids during that period. Even if you send the kids out for an extra recess, we’ll pay the recess-duty teachers.
Obliterating the strings program is wrong. I could go on for pages about how important violin is to Hopewell Valley. How it has been an integral part of the Hopewell Valley curriculum for more than 25 years. How the fact that every kid who graduates from our high school has the unique ability to play an instrument well and how impressed colleges are by that. How that has made our high school orchestra beloved and renowned throughout the state.
How reams of evidence underscore the relationship between understanding music and higher math scores and how many of our better violinists have gone on to successful careers in math and science. How if you cut primary strings, the rest of the music program on up through high school, will falter, as will our kids abilities in other academic areas.
But even if you don’t agree with any of that, think about how the current school board is snowing you. If you go to the budget Web page, there is no mention of the fact that primary music is going to be cut.
I encourage everyone to contact their current school board reps to demand the truth as the school budget vote looms. If you support our school district’s outstanding violin program, let them know you do not want it cut.
Amie Rukenstein
Titusville
Trust school leaders
To the editor:
The elimination of the primary strings program for students in first through third grade is a very sensitive and complex issue. Even though the removal of the strings program is considered a loss by some in our district, it is important that we take a comprehensive and balanced look at the elimination of this course that occupies one period per week. There are some benefits associated with this restructuring, including the following: 1) There will be one less class "special", which will help decrease the fragmentation of the elementary school day and afford our youngest students the opportunity to spend more concentrated time with their teachers in core subject areas; 2) It will provide equity among the "specials": one period of art, one period of music, and one period of library; 3) While many children enjoy the strings program, those that are indifferent, or even dislike the program, will not be required to participate. 4) All students will still receive general music education. Unfortunately, in a time of budget constraints, which require difficult decisions, I believe we can and must trust that our school district administration, our music area supervisor, and our school board members will continue to find creative ways to offer an enriching music program for all students.
Judy Hill
Hopewell Township
Spending decisions
To the editor:
It is difficult to understand any predicament the school district might face when the board/administration feels no obligation to justify their spending decisions. Although the most-obvious way to reduce local taxes is to decrease spending, if spending to enhance education were justified, I don’t believe taxpayers would mind accepting increases… Three cases are given below which makes one wonder if the school district really wants to establish credibility.
Firstly, the school district has stated they are against the Open Source paradigm and have decided to use Microsoft Office products. The two people that have voiced support this decision are Laura Murphy and Craig Lieboff, both Microsoft employees. Although Craig Lieboff is of the opinion that one would encounter more obstacles when using OpenOffice than one would encounter when using Microsoft Office, it would be nice to hear the opinion of an unbiased source, for I don’t believe any systems architect for the Microsoft Corporation (like Craig is) has ever used OpenOffice. Please either download and try it or see any desktop publishing journal, all which have been giving OpenOffice higher marks.
Secondly, no plan was ever produced describing how the 320 computers for $350K included in the 2006-2007 would be utilized. Severe doubt has been publicly expressed whether these computers were really needed. When Douglas Brower, the supervisor of educational technology, was recently asked why a presentation found on the HVRSD Web Site reported the purchase of only 115 computers in 2006-2007, he said it must have been an oversight on his part. Someone makes a presentation to say how the tax money is being used and forgets to report the purchase of 205 out of 320 computers?
Lastly, although several people in the community who want to see their tax dollars spent wisely have volunteered their help increase the knowledge of the HVRSD technology staff, it was decided that consultants would be used. Then, after it became obvious that the use of consultants was a bad idea, HVRSD decided that they won’t use consultants and won’t accept help from community members.
Did some sort of competence fall from the sky and land in the laps of the Hopewell Valley School District? Maybe some confidence will fall from the sky and land in the laps of the taxpayers before they vote … I don’t think so.
Brian J. Mc Hugh
Hopewell Township
See the big picture
To the editor:
I recently sent a letter to the school board and to this newspaper in support of the early strings program in grades one-three. I continue to feel very strongly about this issue and have since forwarded board members a report from Columbia University evidencing the benefits of the program. In response to my letter, board President Kim Newport took the time to make a personal phone call to assure me that music and all Performing Arts are very important programs to the members of the school board, but Mrs. Newport also explained in addition to budget constraints, consideration has been given to music being afforded two class periods a week (art and technology each get one) when the elementary day is already very fragmented. I still keep hope that the budget cut of the early strings program has not been set in stone, however, in attending budget meetings to express my concerns, it is clear as involved parents we all want the best education and programs for our children and as our children move on to different grades and develop different interests, we may develop different passions for different programs depending on how such programs affect our own children. It is important that we realize programs that may not benefit our own children today, may be exactly what we want our district to offer our children in the future.
In preparing the budget, the work of the school board includes keeping an eye on programs at all levels of education, maintaining the exceptional academic results to which we are accustomed, and providing a budget that is balanced. Again this year, many difficult budget decisions have to be made, but regardless of the outcome of individual issues, as board member Jeff Bartolino expressed last week in his HVN letter to the editor, residents should continue to express their opinions, but we must use a broad view while assessing the entire school budget.
Keep informed, make your passions known to the school board and administration, but most importantly, look at the big picture which makes this school district outstanding: focus and hard work by our administration and school board to provide all our children with the best education possible. Regardless of the outcome of my expressed concern, I will vote to pass the budget on April 17.
Liz Gambino
Hopewell Township
Music education
To the editor:
Last week, I attended the Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education meetings during which Superintendent Judith Ferguson presented her proposed school budget. Despite her claim that her budget maintains current programs, Dr. Ferguson recommended the reduction of music education in first through third grades from two classes per week to one. She offered no consistent reasoning for this proposed reduction, even though any defense of her proposal would fly in the face of the preponderance of academic data. Numerous studies have shown the positive effects of music education on academics, evidenced not only in increased test scores but also in enhanced reading ability through pitch development, improved abstract reasoning skills which strengthen math and science abilities, and sharpened attention skills, among other positive outcomes.
When pressed about the proposed reduction in music, Dr. Ferguson offered varying reasons, but none of them were academic. Most often, she mused that eliminating a music period will free uptime for core subjects such as social studies and science. Since music is core curriculum per federal and state standards, and since we are meeting instruction time standards for social studies and science instruction, I don’t understand the genesis of her proposition. She suggests teachers are requesting more instruction time because of time lost to pullouts. I’ve spoken with a number of teachers, and none of them has shared this complaint. Also, no teacher with whom I’ve spoken supports the reduction in music time, especially if it comes at the expense of the district’s 30+ year old primary strings program the cutting of which is what I believe to be Dr. Ferguson’s true intent. Since strings is a distinguishing feature of our primary education system, I ask Dr. Ferguson what, then, will make our primary education distinct from neighboring school districts? (By the way, Princeton schools offer music twice a week to their kindergarten through second graders.)
Further, as a Pennington taxpayer, I question any budget that asks me to foot a greater tax bill for fewer services. Whereas neighboring school districts (notably Princeton) talk of raising taxes to maintain academic "edge," you ask us to pay more for… what? A nuts and bolts education and some occasional busing isn’t going to raise our test scores or increase top-notch college admissions, much less make our district attractive to parents who seek an outstanding public education for their children.
Lastly, I appeal to Dr. Ferguson to visit a primary strings class, which she has never done. The members of the board should do this as well, since some of them have forgotten how much their own children benefited from the strings program. Ask, and the kids will tell you that the reduction in music education will affect their elementary experience adversely. Ask, and your teachers will tell you that they do not support this change.
I plead to the school board to reject reducing the music program and to remove that reduction from the budget. The proposal saves little, and the costs to our children are immeasurable. I urge voters to take a stand against being charged more for less. I will not vote for a budget that compromises my child’s education as Dr. Ferguson suggests.
Roxane Douvos
Pennington
The busing issue
To the editor:
In August 2006, the school board notified the three municipal governments in Hopewell Valley that nonmandated hazardous busing would no longer be provided by the school district beginning with the 2007-2008 school year. This was done because the State of New Jersey placed the cost of nonmandated busing inside the general fund budget. Previously, it had been a cost that was allowed outside the budget cap. The board then asked that the municipal governments to meet with them to discuss possible ways to share this responsibility. Finally, three months later, the mayor of Hopewell Township created a Mayor’s Task Force to study the implications of this request from the school district. I served on this task force as a representative from the school board.
After several lengthy meetings, the Task Force concluded that the best option was for the continuation of busing. Specifically, it was recommended that the municipalities and school district continue to meet to reach a resolution on how to fund non-mandated hazardous busing. The Task Force suggested that shared services should be explored and that the cost-shift to the municipalities be phased in over several years. To that end, the district met separately with officials from both Pennington Borough Council and Hopewell Township Committee presenting specific proposals that would not only save money in the school budget but also find cost savings to the taxpayers as a whole. In the meeting with Hopewell Township Committeeman John Murphy and Mayor Vanessa Sandom, the school district presented nine specific areas of shared services that in some combination could pay for the township’s share of non-mandated hazardous busing for the upcoming school year. Despite the school district’s efforts to comply with the Mayor’s Task Force’s recommendations, the township voted 4-1 against paying any portion of these busing costs and they did not address any one of the nine suggested areas of shared services. To date, the township has not offered any shared service suggestions of their own.
The school board is going forward in a good faith attempt to follow the conclusions of the Mayor’s Task Force by continuing to provide busing for nonmandated hazardous areas. It will pay the majority of the cost of non-mandated hazardous busing next school year. In the spirit and intent of the Mayor’s Task Force, the school district considers the balance of these busing costs to be the responsibility of the municipalities. If they choose not to cover these costs, that portion will be passed onto parents to pay for directly should they opt to continue to use the service. We are still hopeful that the municipalities will work with the school district to provide this busing.
I want to thank those members of the Mayor’s Task Force who continue to work with the school district to resolve the issue. Tony Persichilli, Joe Lawver and Eileen Heinzel of the Pennington Borough Council have met with school district officials in good faith to find a way to provide busing with the least impact on taxpayers. I also applaud Mr. Murphy of Hopewell Township who has been working in the spirit of the Mayor’s Task Force. The school district agrees with Mr. Murphy that there can be a win-win for the taxpayers of this community by saving tax money through shared services to pay for the cost of busing children on hazardous routes to school. The school district has compromised its position and now its time that the municipalities compromise theirs. After all, as elected officials, we are all caretakers of this community and its children.
Judy Karp
Hopewell Township
Primary strings
To the editor:
I was very distressed to learn that the Hopewell Valley Re- gional School District 2007-2008 budget includes plans to cut music class from grades one-three from two times per week to one time, which would mean the elimination of the primary stings program for those grades.
When I moved to this area a year ago I could have settled in any of the towns nearby, but I chose to buy a home and settle my family in Pennington in large part for the well regarded school district and the 30-plus-year-old tradition of the primary string program. We are a musical family who value music education greatly and my daughter studies privately outside of school. Judith Ferguson has suggested that in lieu of the primary string program parents can pay for outside lessons. That is not a reasonable argument to cut a core curriculum program. No one would suggest that parents pay for outside science classes and cut the instruction time during the school day! Everyone knows that not all children can study music privately because it requires an enormous commitment of time by parents in addition to the cost. The beauty of the primary string program is that is provided for everyone and at a crucial age for development and nurturing what is hopefully a lifelong love of music.
There is mountain of academic data that shows that studying music, especially instrumental play, helps to improve reading though pitch awareness, strengthens abstract reasoning to the betterment of math and science ability, enhances attention skills and much more. On a purely pragmatic level, the district has already paid for the violins, the time is already built into the schedule and the requisite staffing is in place.
As a taxpayer, I expect the school district to do their utmost to maintain the highest academic standards. Cutting this program isn’t going to raise test scores, or result in better college admissions. If anything it only weakens our competitive edge, and makes the district less attractive to families who seek a top-notch public education for their children.
In summary, why cut a program with such obvious benefits especially when the cut does not have the support of the faculty or parents? I suggest that the school board reject reducing the music program. The savings are small but the cost to our children’s education is great.
Julia Crislip
Pennington
Music group comments
To the editor:
The Executive Board of the Hopewell Valley Central High School Music & Theatre Parents Association was invited to meet with HVRSD Superintendent Judith Ferguson and school board members to discuss the proposed school budget and clarify how it affects performing arts programs. We are saddened by the proposed reduction in half of primary grade music instruction.
For the past 30 years, all children in grades one-three have spent one period in general music and one period in primary strings (violin) instruction. The budget proposes to reduce primary music to one period; the music faculty will decide how and whether this is divided between general music and primary strings instruction.
In words found in an article about the primary strings program in the district’s own "Portraits of Excellence" publication in 2004, the benefits have been many:
"Students who are exposed to music at a young age not only develop a lifelong appreciation for the arts but they become better students. The correlation between music and math success is particularly striking." There are language arts benefits as well. "
The HVRSD publication also cites research related to music instruction and academic performance. http://www.hvrsd.k12.nj.us/district/news/HVPubs/PortraitsFall04.pdf .
Although we understand the district is under considerable budget constraints, we did not find convincing the arguments that trading instrumental music instruction for core instruction in those very early grades is worthwhile when considering the research on neuro-developmental benefits of music instruction. Primary music education is a tool for core learning skills, as well as a potential path to all the benefits of music participation our older children have enjoyed. For thirty years, all children in this district have received the benefits from this unique program and we are sad to see it come to an end.
Moreover, it is distressing that performing arts continues to be targeted when budgets get tight. In the last three years, two positions have been cut from the music program and now a third may be removed. In contrast, the Hopewell Valley community consistently supports arts education … by voting for funding and through remarkable parent support and community attendance at school arts events. Cutting music education does not reflect the values of this community.
We hope board members and the administration realize this cut is met with reluctance by those of us who know how our children have benefited from a weekly period of primary strings instruction. We personally would like board members and administration to know this is something we care deeply about and would hope for reinstatement in the near future. If you feel the same way, please let them know you support the existence of a primary strings program, and arts education in general, in Hopewell Valley.
Tracy Meyer, Nancy Fishman
Michelle Templon, Lee White
Executive Board
HVCHS Music & Theatre
Parents Association

