There was one winner on Long Island in the Intel Science Talent Search last week but there were many losers, including both students and taxpayers.

The real losers in the Intel contest are the vast majority of students who are unable to take advantage of the $100,000-a-year science teachers set aside to put the school's name in the headlines. But Long Island taxpayers are also losers since school officials spend millions of property tax dollars each year to have their students win prizes in science contests.

In view of New York State's severe fiscal crisis, our public school system must operate more efficiently. One of the first steps is to prohibit school administrators from spending school tax money on efforts to win science competitions. Furthermore, school board members must recognize that it is an injustice to allow students to attempt science research before they master the technology that only a university education can provide.

George Rand