LETTER: Discouraged by Avon's Drop in School Ranking

I am greatly disappointed to find that my home is now less attractive to a home buyer with young children than are homes for sale in neighboring school districts. Why is this, you may ask? Sadly, our recent school district ranking appears to explain much of it. Avon High School was ranked number one in the area in 2011, and now, incredibly, it has slipped so far, it is not even in the top twenty! Fair minded people may disagree about the validity of the rankings, but as to home sales, it is common sense that lower rankings make our homes less appealing.

For Avon parents who now have children about to go through the college admission process, consider this. If your child is competing for a seat at a prestigious university with a student who has similar SAT scores and the same GPA and extra-curricular activities, but is from a higher ranked high school, will that not give that student an edge? Of course it will, and it is an edge we no longer enjoy, according to the rankings, in Avon.

Holding Board of Education members accountable for the steady drop in rankings is not extreme. Yes, they are volunteers. We thank them for their service. Yet, we have too much at stake to allow what has happened under Republican leadership to continue. A change in leadership is desperately needed, and long overdue in Avon. Please be part of this positive change by voting for new leadership and a new direction for our school district and town.

Vote to restore our #1 ranking. Vote for restoration of our home values. Vote for Democrats Jackie Blea, Wendy Howard, Laura Young, Debra Chute and Houston Lowry.

Robin Blauers
Avon