School officials are worth the money


To the editor:

In response to two letters about the proposed school budget:

In simply reporting the costs, without explanation of the need for or benefit of any line item, is to tell only one side of the story. You should know: n Every state school district is required to have a superintendent. n The director of pupil services wears many hats, including the demanding responsibilities of managing special needs students’ education. n The director of finance actually saves the town money by skillfully managing to the approved budget. In the next five years, she will be critical, as we seek to make the most of the bond funds voted in last November by both state voters and our own voters. n The director of technology is essential to keep our schools up and running, maintain equipment/ systems and prepare our students for the technology-driven world we live in.

While we have no high school, our budget covers high school student tuition and more. The superintendent, directors of finance and pupil services work on behalf of all Jamestown students.

I share some distress at how much this all costs, but competitive packages are required to hire talented people. I struggled through the budget process to meet the needs of our students, who are our future, and our taxpayers, who deserve the best value. So much of what we provide is mandated by law. Since I volunteer in Melrose every week, I know how hard all our staff works. You can see the results in our best-in-class student test scores.

I want all taxpayers in attendance at the financial town meeting to keep all of this information in mind as they cast their votes June 3.

Sheila Reilly
Pennsylvania Avenue
Editor’s note: The author is a
member of the Jamestown School
Committee.