High school budget hurts children

To the Editor:

It is that time of year again when everyone is talking budgets and how much everything will cost. Yes, the budgets will increase, and we will vote, and we will pay. We don’t do this because we have nothing else to do with our cash. We do it for our most precious resource, our children. Even before I had children, I never voted a budget down, and long after my kids are out of school, I do not intend to vote a budget down. They are our future just like we were the future at one time. Like us, they deserve a good education.

This may be the only time I am thinking about voting down a budget. The Valley Stream Central High School District wants to cut some services and add a few items. There will be plenty of budget presentations for all of you to go listen to yourself and form your own opinion. As for me, I am against cutting teachers. Right now they want to cut teachers in the special education department. Why hurt the students that need it the most? Don’t they deserve the same support, if not more than we give our Advanced Placement students? Are we, like so many in the past, ignoring the underdog that needs the most help?

For those of you that don’t know, if you are an Advanced Placement student, Superintendent Dr. Marc Bernstein will give you everything he can. It makes the district and him look good in Newsday and every other publication. If you struggle academically, he doesn’t care unless you are taking a state-mandated test like the ELA or a Regents exam for the grade you are currently attending.

I used Dr. Bernstein’s name because he suggests the budget to the CHSD board, but we as the residents of Valley Stream are to blame. Why us? Well the CSHSD Board of Education accepts the budget to be presented to the community. We, the community, vote for these people who do not seem to care for our kids anymore. If they did, they would speak up, ask for additional information, and support our kids.
We, the parents of VSCHSD students, have to speak up. We are the voice of our kids. Don’t let our kids be neglected. Open your mouth. This publication will print every high school budget presentation in Valley Stream for the next month. Get out and speak up. Students, if your parents won’t or can’t, then you should. This budget affects you. 

Patty Walsh
Valley Stream