Dear Editor,
The current Onteora school board has acted irresponsibly with our students’ education and with taxpayer dollars, throwing money at a short-term fix that reconfigures the K-6 schools based on an unproven model that they “hope” will improve student performance. This irresponsible decision was the most expensive one available, favors one area of the district, and was passed because all but one member of
the Shandaken-heavy board are in favor of keeping a third elementary school open despite financial and enrollment data which would lead an unbiased person to decide for a 2-school option. Another recent irresponsible decision was to blindly extend the contract of a superintendent who has yet to prove her theory that this reconfiguration might work. In fact, two of her first decisions (busing grades 4-12 together and expelling ensemble music from the school day) have had to be overturned due to parent, teacher and student outcry. This does not bode well for the future of her decision-making, and contract extension could have and should have waited until we see where her next few decisions lead our district.
The Town of Olive was ignored and figuratively shoved in the corner throughout the reconfiguration process. Olive has been under-represented in recent years on the Onteora board, especially since no candidates from Olive have run for board seats. There is an election on May 15th, and it is time to increase representation from
ALL of the towns in the Onteora district. Rebecca Balzac and Cybele Nielsen, from Olive and Woodstock respectively, are the two challengers vying for seats against incumbents. Both have stated that they don’t wish to add more confusion by trying to reverse the reconfiguration decision, but that they will work to save important
educational programs, increase board transparency, and advocate for students of all ages in ALL of the towns in the district. Please vote for Rebecca and Cybele on May 15th.
Becky Konjas
Samsonville, NY
