Opinion: Board of Ed. Not Representing Children, Taxpayers

The following letter to the editor was written by Susan Wolf. 

Board of Education President Mary Shaughnessy wrote a statement last week regarding the states funding of our schools. This statement was made to set the scene for the tax increase that the board will soon vote for.

Shaughnessy along with the other members of the board will continue to mislead the Bloomfield residents and blame the state for their incompetence.

Back in 2007, Superintendent Frank Digesere along with the board was giving the same sound bites to the public about the state's lack of funding, and how the state owes us money according to its own “funding formula.” It is now 2013 and Bloomfield will never see that “so called” money. It is important to note at that time the board was also operating with a deficit.  

Beginning in 2008, the board had three years of responsible leadership creating a $1.5 million surplus, reduced classroom size, and renovated Foley Field. This was all accomplished, while millions of dollars were cut from state aid to Bloomfield schools.

Now that surplus is gone, taxes increased, and so did classroom size.

Since Shaughnessy has been the president of the board, the district has received an additional 7 percent in state aid along with an additional $272 plus tax increase. With this additional state aid and tax increase, the board still laid off teachers, eliminated “important facility projects” and increased classroom size.

Why is it that the prior board was able to come to the public with a zero percent tax increase while receiving 7 percent less from the state? As a parent and taxpayer, I ask Shaughnessy, "Where has all the money gone?"

We need to vote out the politicians that are currently controlling our school board. Only two out of nine board members have children in our schools. This is not a board that is representing the children of Bloomfield.