Citizens for Needham Schools: Past Newsletters


		Citizens for Needham Schools (CNS) is dedicated to advocating for strong public schools, educating the public on issues pertaining to school department funding and capital projects, and supporting the School Administration and the School Committee in their efforts to provide quality education for Needham’s students.
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Ballot Questions 1 & 4

November 2, 2008

Vote NO on Question 1 and Preserve the State Income Tax

Vote YES on Question 4 and Open High Rock

Greetings,

The November 4 ballot is chock full of great questions, and potential confusion. Please prepare for Questions 1 and 4, both which have implications for school funding. And please forward this email to everyone you know. Voter turnout will be high; let's be sure that all voters are prepared for these two questions.

Vote NO on Question 1 and Preserve the State Income Tax

Question 1 on the November 4 ballot proposes the elimination of the state income tax. Citizens for Needham Schools joins Needham's Board of Selectmen, Stand for Children, and the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts in opposing this question. Approximately 40% of state revenues comes from the income tax. If Question 1 passes, state aid to towns will be cut drastically. Needham depends on roughly $8.5 million in state aid; cuts to that aid will further strain our already strained budget for the schools and other town services.

You can read more about Question 1 at http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/ele08/ballot_questions_08/quest_1.htm

Vote YES on Question 4 and Open High Rock

Question 4 on the November 4 ballot requests a $1.9 million operating override to run the new High Rock School, scheduled to open in September 2009. This override is the final piece of the High Rock plan. The first piece was the debt-exclusion override to build the school, approved by voters in April 2007. The second piece is this operating override to run the school, presented to voters now that we're closer to High Rock's scheduled opening and therefore better understand its actual operating costs. Citizens for Needham Schools joins the Board of Selectmen, the School Committee, and the League of Women Voters-Needham in encouraging Needham voters to vote YES on Question 4.

The ballot question mentions the schools but does not name High Rock, so you'll need to remember the number: Question 4.

Superintendent Gutekanst has published a Question 4 Q & A on the district website: http://district.needham.k12.ma.us/faciliti es_high_rock_ QA.htm. The Q & A includes an explanation of the curriculum coordinators and a list of the cuts expected if Question 4 fails. You can also get more information at www.openhighrock.com.

You can also read the ballot exactly as it will appear on Tuesday, November 4: http://www.needhamma.gov/Document View.asp?DID=1924. No chance for confusion then!