Rick Heath

To the editor,

When an opportunity presents itself and yet those officials we have elected, fail to act in our behalf, it may be said they have “snatched defeat from the jaws of victory”.

I recently attended my first school board meeting in a long time. It was a non-public meeting for the most part but they were allowing public input so I invited myself. The nonpublic portion was to discuss personnel replacements. One in particular showed the possibility of testing whether this Moultonborough School Board and administration would have the fortitude to save the taxpayer some money without damaging curriculum or layoffs. The position of interest was the MCS Assistant Principal; a vacancy created when the present occupant resigned for another opportunity.

So, here we are in a recession affecting many citizens of Moultonborough; people who moved to Moultonborough 8-12-20 years ago because the comparatively low tax rate offered them an opportunity to enjoy the American dream of affordable home ownership. I asked the board if, in their deliberation of this opening they might consider the economic times, declining enrollment, escalating budgets, student/teacher ratios (8-1) and the present annual cost per student at $18,000 (near private school rates). If they would try to “do more with less” and to please delay their hiring a replacement for, say, a year and see if they could do without. This position after all is only a few years old; and previous principal Shelly Miller had no assistant principal… and did very well.

“Back in the day” there was a time when a citizen and two members of the Advisory Budget Committee came to a 7:30 a.m. meeting to offer a way the school board could look good to their constituents without a lot of turmoil, they’d listen. We’re only talking about a job that would reduce the budget by, what, $60,000 maybe $70,000 a year (oops, I forgot the AAA-rated benefit package) with no lay off… no firing… no having to rid the school district of a worthy employee… THE SPACE HAD BEEN OPENED BY RESIGNATION AND NO NEED TO FILL IT. Please just toss us a bone.

With two members of the ABC there as well, I had no idea what they would say. As I slid my chair back… expecting to get the usual nod and ‘thank you’, after I had said my piece and they would now be going into nonpublic session, Jean Beadle of the ABC spoke up and said that they (ABC) felt the same way. I slid my chair back in and listened for several minutes to the good discourse from both sides. Finally board chair Borrin indicated, and was echoed by superintendent Lancor that “they were in touch” and had heard our plea.

At the end of the day they announced there WILL BE A NEW Assistant Principal at MCS. How’s that for listening and reacting? Saving the taxpayer any money seems to be not in their makeup.

Rick Heath

Moultonborough