EDITORIAL
The South Brunswick school district had a real shining moment this week when the “Good Day New York” crew from Channel 5 went to Crossroads South Middle School on Georges Road to film the vocal ensemble in a promotion of the Fox Network show “Glee.”
The group, under the direction of Lisa Lepore, sang three different numbers in separate segments throughout the morning news show.
It was amazing to see the talent and obvious dedication these 57 middle school students demonstrated during each performance.
Anyone who viewed the show live on the air, or that went to the Fox 5 website to see the video, could easily see the value the vocal ensemble brings to the district and the students.
In these tough economic times it is easy to look at such programs with an eye to reducing budget numbers.
The district has implemented a policy of students paying to participate in many activities and sports in order to keep costs down.
Passing this year’s $134 million budget on April 27 may have even come with many voters swallowing hard before pulling the lever down to support the plan.
After all, it comes with a 12.2 cent per $100 of assessed valuation tax increase just to keep the tax levy equal to the levy passed during the last two years.
For the last several months it has been these numbers and projections that have been the focus of the Board of Education and the media as officials crunched numbers and sometimes-inflamed discussions raged about things like pay freezes and furloughs.
That focussed shifted this week in a very real and humbling way.
Watching these students reach for perfection in their performances and the way they conducted themselves in front of the camera was inspiring and brings the true issues of education into a much clearer view.
As former board member Martin Abschutz said during those long and tortuous public meetings, the budget debate comes down to a debate about what kind of education system we want in South Brunswick and what kind of students we want to turn out into the world.
The middle school students from Crossroads South showed us that we are making the right decisions in the district and that the staff is as dedicated and professional as we hope they are.
It is a demonstration of what a community that truly cares about education can accomplish with our most precious assets, our children.

