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With Appreciation

We, the citizens of Guilford, are so fortunate to live in a community that consciously focuses on providing top-notch education and nurturing a high quality of life. I am one of those fortunate residents who benefits from the town’s social service offerings. I suffered a stroke and became disabled and unable to drive, but am determined to lead an independent and productive life.

I have tapped into the many resources offered by Guilford Senior Services, the most crucial being the availability of bus transportation. This service allows many disabled and senior citizens to help maintain a healthy, more normal lifestyle. It allows me to attend physical therapy, medical appointments, and volunteer work I provide to residents at Guilford House as well as meals and entertaining trips.

During the 2016-’17 fiscal year, the service transported approximately 10,762 rides for seniors over 42,544 miles to their doctor appointments, grocery shopping, to the Community Center for lunch programs and events, and on highly valued trips. One of the buses has 130,000 miles on it.

Additionally, 8,209 meals were served at the Community Center and more than 25,258 meals were delivered by the Meals on Wheels program.

Guilford taxpayers receive an excellent return on their investment in our schools. According to the superintendent of schools, Guilford ranks 78th for per-pupil expenditures while student performance ranks fourth overall in K-12 districts in the state. In 2017, the International Baccalaureate Program began at Guilford High School and U.S. News and World Report ranked Guilford High School the 14th high school in the state.

This budget focuses on instruction, class size (adding a teacher at Calvin Leete School), and the arts (adding two full-time music teachers in the elementary schools).

With appreciation for everyone involved, I encourage your readers to support the proposed 2019 budget.

Suzanne Carlson

Guilford