Don’t take out tax frustrations on students

It makes me very nervous to think what might happen to our children, our schools and the value of our homes if this conservative school budget does not pass.

With everything I am reading in the newspapers about the township’s budget and how much our taxes are going to go up, I fear that all this publicity is going to hurt the youngsters. The township budget does not get put to a vote, but the taxpayers still have to foot the bill for it.

I know that these are difficult times, but however frustrating it is to see property taxes going up, it is unfair to take out this frustration on our children – our schools are their future.

A defeated budget does not save the homeowner very much, and it absolutely negatively impacts school programs. In fact, a failed budget can wind up costing you more. Two years ago, when the school budget was voted down and the Township Council cut the budget by $2 million, taxpayers only saved a total of $20.01 for the year. Was that worth all the cuts the children had endure?

Those families who have children in school paid and continue to pay much more. As a result of the cut, the district had to implement “pay to participate” to help offset the cost for extracurricular activities. As a result, parents must now pay $15 per club and $50 per sport for their child to participate.

It’s so hard to listen to people say, “Why should I pay for someone else’s kids to play sports?” when it’s not only about the sports at all. My child does not play sports. However, the clubs that he has joined have cost much more than the $20.01 that I saved due to the defeated budget. These programs help to develop the whole child. Students develop leadership skills, and their interests are broadened through such programs. In addition, any high school parent knows that colleges want to see more than just high GPAs and test scores on student transcripts.

The residents of East Brunswick need to consider the quality of education our children are getting. They need to remember why they moved here and why our children come back here to raise their own children.

After next year, I will no longer have any children in the school system, but as a responsible taxpayer, I will always vote yes for all East Brunswick’s children, for everyone’s future.
Carolyn Gregory
East Brunswick