Letter to the Editor: Supporting the N. Babylon School Budget

Editor's note: This letter was submitted by Laura Barnes. Send letters to ryan@patch.com. 

It was just 10 months ago that I found out that my daughter’s school district (North Babylon) was planning to take away one of the second grade teachers, causing my daughter and her classmates to be crammed into classes of 30 this past September.  

Two classrooms with one teacher, zero paraprofessionals or aides, and 30 kids!!  I was horrified as were the other soon-to-be second grade parents of Parliament Place. I started an online petition, contacted one of your editors and was interviewed by another, and joined other families in calling and meeting with the Board of Education and Superintendent Patricia E. Godek.  

Up until that time, I had made room in my hectic schedule for working my two jobs, attending graduate school, soccer practices, Girl Scouts meetings, religion classes, and play dates.  I did not make time for PTA meetings or Board of Education meetings.  I basically knew nothing about the budget yet each year, I voted yes for my child.  So, I was amazed when I found out that the money was simply not there to give our children the advantages they deserved. 

Like many families in North Babylon, my family works hard to afford the high cost of living on Long Island.  Like many families everywhere, I want to give my child the best education possible to improve her chance of future success.  Parents like me have been begging the district to help our children by improving their learning environment through reduction in class sizes.  We have been begging for more security and safety measures to prevent the constant trespassing and vandalizing that has resulted in materials just as broken glass, used condoms and other deplorable trash left where our small children play. 

This year the district proposed a budget that achieved all our wishes and more.  The budget maintains programs such as sports, cultural arts, and clubs already in place, upgrades technology, and brings back four elementary teachers reducing the size of maxed out classrooms.  Add to that the very long list of unfunded mandates New York requires of districts and it is not hard to believe that all this comes at a price.  

Do I want to pay more for gas, food, and entertainment than I already pay?  No, so I will budget myself accordingly and keep my splurges in check but when I must pay the price on the tag, I will.  Do I want to pay more in taxes?  No, but again, I will budget myself accordingly in other areas because my child’s future is the most important “splurge” I will ever make.  

Now is not the time to point fingers.  Now is not the time to place blame for rising costs, salaries, pensions, or programs.  Now is the time to understand the repercussions of voting down this budget. A failed budget results in nothing but loss for our children, their futures, and for our town and its value.  It is time to raise the value of our homes AND the value of our children’s education. 

Ten months ago I fought alongside other parents to ensure a better quality of education for 60 second graders. We lost that battle but were lucky to have two amazing teachers that took on the challenge of maxed classrooms (like many other wonderful North Babylon teachers must do) and have given our children MORE while working with LESS.  

So until June 18th, I will fight for this budget along with many other parents and community members because if this budget fails there will be no MORE for our children’s quality of education and sadly only LESS.