Letter To The Editor – Let The Voters Decide

To the Editor:
I think that the voters should decide the issues.
For the past six years the Berlin School District has been wrestling with several issues that need to be resolved. One that needs to be addressed now is what footprint do we want for our Elementary school(s). It would seem that the BOE has been unable to figure this out and with both sides entrenched (as the Superintendent has said) I don’t see a resolution coming anytime soon.
I propose that we turn this issue over to the voters. These are just my suggestions, but short of some real compromise by BOE members I think that the voters could solve the issue once and for all. I would ask why not put it up for a vote? Do the members/voters of the Berlin School District want to fix the Berlin Elementary School at an approximate cost of $20m as per State Ed. or do the voters want to reopen and adapt Stephentown and Grafton Elementary schools to accommodate all the elementary school students at a cost of $5m to $8m?
When the voters approve one of these options then the BOE will have a voter approved mandate to help set goals and priorities. This is what should have been done in the beginning six years ago, but consolidation was the only thought. I guess that when the BOE and Superintendent were making their plans back then the health and safety of our students and staff was just not a high priority but that projected cost savings was.
Now that we have a clear and present danger, in the lead in Berlin Elementary, we as voters need to take back control of our school district.
Andy Zlotnick
Varville Road, Petersburgh