Letter: PTO Has Concerns About Final Marple Newtown Budget

An Open Letter to the Marple Newtown School Board:

The Budget vote is coming up on June 24 and we are dismayed to learn that, in the eleventh hour, the Marple Newtown School Board is attempting to adjust the final budget by raiding the district’s savings account.  You are ignoring an opportunity to improve our district.  This year the Board could choose to advance technology, fix deteriorating buildings, ensure smaller class sizes, and more.

The Board promised to look at ways to increase student achievement and bring back programs. You could bring back math specialists, theme editors, field trips, foreign language, and address a long list of needs. Although this has been brought to your attention multiple times, you do not act.

The reality is that much of this decision for a 0% increase is politically motivated. Although the Board is responsible for our schools’ performance, you seem more inclined to represent political interests than our students.  How does it help our residents to allow our schools to decline?  How does it help our children?  If poor planning on the part of the Board means that we end up with crowded classrooms, reduced arts, music, and athletics, no libraries, antiquated technology, what kind of community will we be in five or ten years?

We are an organized group of Marple Newtown Parents who serve to represent our entire community.  We attend and monitor all School Board meetings.  We have continually witnessed a lack of leadership and no vision.

We urge the Board to look more closely at how your Budget vote on June 24 could negatively impact all of us in Marple Newtown.  We encourage community members to let the Board know that we value our schools and want to see our students succeed.

Sincerely,

PTO Representatives to the Marple Newtown School Board

Ellen Trantas, Chairperson

MaryAnn Alderfer

Ann Conca

Beth DeCecco

Dana Kauffman

Kathleen McGee

Joan Tobin

Nancy Vanderslice