Setting the Record Straight

Last week, A public hearing for residents was held to provide input on whether or not the Shrewsbury Finance Committee should support the two and a half override on Article 6. One resident stated that unfunded mandates such as special education were not part of the school department's budgets in the past. I want to state for the record on why this was so.

Before Chapter 766 was passed in Massachusetts in the 1970's, children with disabilities were shipped out of towns/cities to institutions such as the "The School for Cripped Children" in Southeast Massuchusetts. Parents were forced to give up their children by choice or have the state authorities physically take them out of their homes. Since the public schools such as Shrewsbury were not funded or mandated to provide special education services, their budget was only geared for "normal" children to attend school.  On a side note, many children with disabilities endured psychological issues of isolation and abandonment and self-blame for their parents sending them away to school.

Currently, the state and federal laws mandates that children with disabilities be integrated into the public schools across the commonwealth. It is not the children's fault that school budgets have to pay for their services. In addition, if the schools can't provide quality services for some children with complex disabilities, then they will need to pay for them to attend other specialized schools out of district. Again, it is not the children's fault that the costs are higher as well.

If the state government reimbursed the schools at a higher rate than they are currently paying, some of the problems associated with their budgets would be alleviated. People forget that other factors such as the enhanced technologies such as IPADS and increased bandwith and personnel obligations play a role in contributing to the schools' budget woes.

I don't know if overriding Proposition 2 1/2 is the answer. Maybe in the short run it will solve the budget woes, but what about the long term costs that increase every year.  How about supporting the proposal to raise the income tax to 5.95% and lower the sales tax from 6.25% to 4.5%? If passed, it calls for funds going back to the towns and cities to help pay for education and other programs.

What is your opinion?