Respect is something we all want, but often people forget that it must be earned. In order to be treated with the respect one wants, one must first treat others with respect. This is a lesson that needs to be learned by many, including the Levittown School District.

It was not very many months ago that the administration of the Levittown School District were going out of their way to get their "friends and neighbors" to pass the school budget. The budget passed and in return those in the district are getting more for their money, but in the past couple of weeks it seems as though the school district has forgotten that the budget would not have passed without those neighbors.

The neighbors of Gardiner's Avenue Elementary School seemed to have been forgotten in the process of the district planning a new bus driveway at that school. Not only did the district not take into account their feelings about having buses right outside their homes, they didn't even have the courtesy to inform the neighbors that it was happening.

When Levittown residents have an extension put on their home, they need to inform their neighbors. Residents need a variance in order to do anything that comes close to their neighbors' property line and in getting this variance, need to inform their neighbors about what is happening. Why is a school district, paid for by the taxpayers, exempt from this notification process?

A lot of the problems that occurred because the Gardiners Avenue School neighbors were not notified could have been avoided or solved before they actually became problems if they had been part of the process of planning this driveway. Many of the people at last week's meeting about the driveway had some good ideas about alternative solutions. Had these people been told about the plans before the work was already scheduled maybe alternate plans could have developed earlier and the work could have proceeded on time instead of having to be delayed at the very last minute as it was.

The school district must remember that the budget has not been passing by huge margins in recent years and that by hurting neighbors who live adjacent to the schools, they may be losing some valuable votes in favor of the budget. There are 11 buildings in use by the school district. If the neighbors from each of these buildings are forgotten by district administration it could mean the difference between the budget passing and the budget failing.

Respect your neighbors and they will support you.