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Make an Informed Decision

I want to take this opportunity to tell the citizens of Madison why I’m going to vote “Yes” in the upcoming School Facility Referendum on Sept. 26 and the one that will be held in 2019. I have no chip in this game. I’m no longer an elected official and my youngest is a sophomore at Daniel Hand High School. I was hoping the Board of Education (BOE) would make a choice to have both a renovated Jeffery and a new Ryerson in one referendum. It was decided to split them into two referenda. I understand the reasoning and feel that we must move forward with the first phase of the proposed 10-year project.

We can no longer try modernize our schools through a patchwork of minor/major projects funded through the town’s Capital Non-Recurring Expense (CNRE) reserve account, which is funded at a rate of about $1.3 million per year and must cover all town and BOE minor capital expenses. There’s a five-year plan of 31 town projects and 8 BOE projects. Since the components of the 10-year project are major capital expenses that require significant funding, they’re not on the CNRE list. If this 10-year project isn’t funded and we continue with basic required maintenance, not improvement, the schools will still require between $49- and $55 million in 10 years, according to the DRA Comprehensive Facility Assessment. The CNRE funding will have to increase five-fold just to cover maintenance.

I implore the citizens of Madison to educate themselves—visit the BOE website, click on the Community Forum, read the Fact Sheet, read the reports. Visit the town’s website and review this year’s budget, including the Capital Improvement Plan. I encourage your readers to make an informed decision; the next generation of Madison citizens deserve it.

Joan Walker

Madison