The failure of the budget to pass is not a positive indication of a healthy, top-rate school district thriving on the spirited cooperation of its employees, leaders and residents. Less than 2,000 voters showed up to put our district in the company of a small minority of those whose proposed budgets failed. We will never know what the failure demonstrates. Perhaps many of us took for granted that it would be passed and did not vote, or some of us are unwilling to bear another increase in taxes after the county-wide reassessment, or maybe there is an overall dissatisfaction with problems in the district or other reasons. Whatever the reasons, I urge my fellow district residents to take the matter seriously, wherever you sit on issues, and not to help to turn this into something negative. We could criticize the current board, but very few are in a position to rightfully do that. How many of us had a copy of the budget in our hands and attended meetings? I saw very few people at the last budget meeting who did not work for the district. The current board could just as easily argue that they have been saddled with poor demographic planning and too little spending on deferred maintenance in the past. Many budgetary matters are not within any current board's control, as they must struggle to keep spending down in the face of realistically dealing with future pitfalls. My point is, we all want what's best for the kids. We demand excellence in education for all children, that is why we live here. If we don't like the way the money is being spent, we all have the right and opportunity to find out how it is being spent, voice our opinions and vote. Pointing fingers accomplishes nothing. Let's not trash special education or AP classes or use the plight of the "child in the middle" as a hammer. All of our children are "the tops." I think we can safely assume that most of our teachers and other educators, and all of our board members are committed to maintaining the level of education we demand. We need a budget. With increased costs for mandatory compliance and maintenance, coupled with the burden of an unanticipated increase in student population, we will likely need to spend more than the cap of two (2%) percent imposed on a twice failed budget vote in order to maintain our ever-growing class sizes and the quality of education. If any of us feel our money is not being spent wisely, let's help the board find ways to save. We have so much talent and so many hard working people in this community, we should be able to do it. Yes, it is almost logistically impossible for most of us to even get to the polls. But this is Manhasset. All of our children benefit from a well-run, top rate, district. All of us benefit from the increased property values attributable to the quality of education historically provided in this district. I am hopeful that we can work together to make certain that the failure of the budget does not divide us and turn us into a dysfunctional district that can't even pass a budget.

Mark N. Aloia