I have been reading many of the Letters to the Editor over the past few weeks and I think there are a few misconceptions out there that I would like to address.
First, Woodland students are learning in closets. There are members of the community who refuse to believe or acknowledge this fact. I should know, my children are students at Woodland and there are closets that were turned into classrooms in that building. The reading teacher's room used to be the art closet. The resource room used to be a closet. The ESL room used to be the Xerox room and is small enough to be a closet. The speech/language room used to be a closet. As a matter of fact, there are no more closets to transform! No other building in this district is using closets to educate children. Woodland shouldn't have to either.
Next, the overcrowding problem was never about only "two" classrooms. The two classrooms constantly being referred to were two classrooms needed to satisfy the regular class splits that should have occurred this year because of class sizes. Next year we would have needed even more classrooms for regular instruction. That doesn't even include the closets that are being used as classrooms at Woodland. Even though I was in favor of the portables, I felt that Woodland needed at least four portable classrooms to relieve the overcrowding in the classrooms. This would only relieve overcrowded class sizes, not overcrowded cafeterias or all the other problems associated with overcrowded schools. A majority of the community was not in favor of the portables because we have two leased buildings. The only other solution that is acceptable, equitable, sensible and, most of all, "fair" to our children is to open East Street School. I am not happy to see families leave Woodland, but I know that because of this decision every child in Hicksville will then have the same opportunity to learn in equitable settings.
Lastly, East Street School will open in September whether or not the budget passes. Voting "No" on the budget will have absolutely no effect on the status of East Street, but it will affect many other wonderful programs and provisions for our children in this year's budget. I want to appeal to the parents of Hicksville's children to Get Out and Vote. I have heard so many people over the years blame the senior citizen community for failing budgets. Don't blame them. Instead, we should be giving them credit for coming out and exercising their right to vote. I certainly do. Each and every parent in Hicksville should be voting on Budget Day. If you don't, you hand over the fate of your children's education to a handful of people. Is that what you really want? Well, I don't and I will be voting to support the budget on May 19.
Thank you.