As an engaged citizen who believes all children deserve equal access to quality education, I was disappointed to hear about the FY17 budget Gov. Charlie Baker recently signed.
This new budget significantly underfunds the state’s commitment to reimburse school districts for funds lost to charter schools and guts funding for kindergarten programs. This comes as Baker also supports Question 2, the November ballot initiative, which aims to expand charter schools in Massachusetts.
I strongly disagree with his position and will be voting no on 2. Last year, Northampton public schools lost $2.1 million to charter schools after reimbursement — more than our school budget deficit for the year.
Massachusetts as a whole lost over $400 million.
There are 14,500 children on a waiting list for early childhood education due to lack of funding, in part because of funds lost to charter schools.
How can we allow this to happen? We need to come together and invest resources in everyone’s children. We must protect our public schools, which educate 96 percent of the children in the commonwealth.
I am not looking to shame the choices anyone makes. I am looking to protect equal access to quality education for all children. Whether or not you send your children to a charter school, I urge you to speak out against Baker’s budget, and I urge you to vote no on Question 2 in November.
Jenny Bender
Northampton