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Holds the Promise

We are writing this letter in our capacity as parents and citizens of Madison, Republicans and Democrats alike.

We support the referendum before the voters on Sept. 26 that calls for building a much-needed elementary school to replace the aging and increasingly deteriorating Ryerson. As citizens of Madison, we share a common belief that children of this town deserve facilities that are safe, clean, and up to the standards required to produce 21st-century learners as they prepare for a complex and rapidly changing world.

We all believe that now is the time to build for the future. After 2 ½ years of comprehensive study, it has become clear that the combination of declining student enrollment, coupled with the deterioration of the physical infrastructure of our schools, requires the town to act. Without bonding, schools may be forced to use educational funds to fix things like leaking roofs and windows. Operational budgets should be used for education, not facilities.

Declining enrollment rates dictate the need to close Island Avenue regardless of the outcome of the referendum. While some of our children attended Island, and while we hold it close to our hearts, the hard reality of a changing demographic demands that we act now. By voting “Yes” to building a new Ryerson with up-to-date facilities, we believe as parents and citizens that the referendum on Sept. 26 holds the promise of an outstanding learning environment for generations of learners to come, and will place Madison among the most advanced and forward-looking school districts in the state.

As parents and as citizens, we strongly believe that voting “Yes” on the referendum makes sense for our town, and our children, for generations of students to come.

Matt Keller

Jean Fitzgerald

Galen Cawley

Alison Keating

Seth Klaskin

Happy Marino

Katie Stein

Jessica Bowler

Madison

The authors all serve on the Board of Education.