This is the first installment of a column I hope will keep you informed and interested in happenings in Bow. I must present my disclaimer to say I am speaking here solely as a taxpayer and resident, all comments and opinions are my own.
With that being said I would like to tackle an interesting concept concerning the recent bus warrant article.
The School Board never had any intention of implementing the decrease of two buses in Bow.
This was all a ploy to get parents upset concerning the budget. A redherring if you will.
The next step in their ill thought out process will be to say that if the operating budget is lowered then the first thing the School Board will have to cut is the buses. There’s the “gotcha”.
Why do I consider the bus warrant an ill thought out proposition? How could they have not taken into consideration putting children on the road walking up to a quarter mile to a bus stop in 15-degree weather when the school policy states that there will be no outdoor recess if the temperature is below 20 degrees? And the ages of these children could range from 5 on up. I ask you who now allows their 5-year old to walk a quarter mile from their home unescorted? At this time of year, the high snow banks and the height of these children puts them in direct danger on the road would it make sense to you to put these children on the road? Or course not. But I defer to the so-called experts (The School Board) that thought this would be the best way to save you the taxpayer $40,000! Exactly as I said, they never intended to implement this ill thought out decision.
I warn you, do not have tunnel vision. We can lower the presented budget and still operate with the buses as they are now and keep athletics. It’s politics in Bow as usual, why would you be surprised?
They have held our tax dollars hostage along with our children for years. Game on! How many times have we heard the same old song and dance. Last year it was the athletics that would have to be cut if the budget were reduced. Yes that is our friendly School Board directing a sucker punch right at you! To paraphrase President Obama in his inauguration speech. “It is time to make unpleasant decisions”. With a declining enrollment in our schools how can the cost of operation still be climbing? Over 70% of the cost of operating our schools is tied into personnel. So simple logic dictates that personnel needs to be reduced. And where exactly should the decreases be?
Stay tuned for the column next week to answer that question. Remember if they can’t discredit the message they will attack the messenger.
In the Bunker, Cindy Martin
