More Coffee, Please

The signs along the road are bright red. They have only a few small words. As is usual with local politics, there’s no mention of who paid or distributed the sign. There aren’t many. Still, I feel a little chilled looking at them.

“Let Surry go.”

In eight days, on November 6, there will be a vote in SAU 38 to decide if the town of Surry should be allowed to leave the district. Precipitated by the closure of its elementary school, the town has built a charter school and is now looking at withdrawing completely.

I understand their feelings. The school is a heart of the community, and our youth are vital—a statement too often repeated and abused, but still true. One of the foundational problems in the district is how vast a swath of territory it covers: It’s hard to hold a meeting with parents when they are more than an hour of driving away from their children’s school. They rarely feel connected to the high school. Having a school in the town, (especially a place like Surry, which clings to the idea and the goal of being a village) is vital.

Even more vital, I think there are problems in the district. I don’t see—with the exception of MC²—any real willingness to try and break out of the “same old thing” which has dominated education for the last hundred years. There’s very few people who are willing to try real, substantive change, and trying to make the old ways work is not going to cut it. As it stands, I don’t think that the MRSD is offering a very good product, and if—as according to their report— Keene really is willing to take them… well it does seem like it would be a better deal.

Still, even if, like some in Surry, I wouldn’t be happy, I don’t think my unhappiness would lead me to cut and run from the district. The reason for closing Surry Elementary had nothing to do with spite or anger. The Northern towns—Surry, Gilsum, and Sullivan—formed a committee to look at education, believing they were not being well served by the district. The recommendation was to close one of the schools to pool resources. Surry and Sullivan were both options, and Surry had some minor problems with its water supply. ¹ In the end, it was decided to move the children to Sullivan and Gilsum.

The board made the right decision. If there’s going to mandate to improve education, and a caveat that no money can be spent, the result will be a compromise. Like we all do, the towns went in wanting something without accepting that the bill from the piper must be paid—and it always hurts to do so.

The current action—pulling out of the district—strikes me as the little boy who takes his ball home when the game does not go his way. Admittedly, the score in the end may not have been what the child wanted—but everyone is a loser when he leaves, the boy most of all. Personally, the Town of Surry seems like one of the few that really care about the education that their kids receive. I want people like that in the district, not out of it!

Still, as always, people have the right to make a poor decision. To make the game better, don’t end it—work with people to fix the problems. Play harder. Be more involved. I applaud Surry for being so engaged, but I don’t think the direction is where they should go. It’s too cut and run, it’s too quick to give up, when they should be willing to stay behind and make a difference.

Ah well. Towns in New Hampshire are autonomous. The people have a right to bring it to a vote, and I have faith that the right decision will be voted on from the wisdom of the people.

There is something bothering me, though.

The latest issue of the Richmond Rooster has this from Neil Moriarty and Jim Carne ²

Surry May Leave District

On November 6, 2007 taxpayers in the Monadnock Regional School District will vote on Surry Town withdrawing from the Regional School District.

The property tax impact on each of the remaining towns, (should Surry be allowed to leave) is as follows: Swanzey- $242, Richmond- $212, Troy- $278, Roxbury- $188, Sullivan- $210, Gilsum- $198, and Fitzwilliam- $198. This is based on a house valued at $200,000.

This only includes the school portion of your property tax. Also, it is not a one time expense, it will have to be paid yearly, in addition to any other school tax increases that happen due to budgets, other warrant articles, etc.

Please make sure you vote on Nov. 6, 2007.

There’s something missing. There’s no fiery denunciation of this rise in taxes—despite the fact it’s roughly equal to the cost of the addition to the high school they so vehemently opposed several years ago.

Where’s the outrage? Where’s the railing, the angry fist shaking, the obstinate old man staring into the black, shaking with suppressed fury? Why no vicious editorials, no passionate denunciations of a move which will cost tax-payers more money than any teacher’s contract, cost more than any insurance program, cost more than a physical addition to the school?

It seems a might bit odd for a coterie which opposes raising taxes for any reason.

It seems…really odd. Very, very odd. Unless… well, unless there’s an eye on a bigger prize. If one is looking not to keep taxes down but to destroy a school district… well, then the apparent lack of anger and frustration makes a good deal more sense, doesn’t it?

Hmm. What would Mr. Sherlock Holmes’ line be upon pointing out Mr. Moriarty’s plan? Oh yes—”It’s elementary, my dear Watson.” ³

I hope the voters can see it. In the end, I’d rather have Surry spitting mad and working to change things than sitting sullenly outside, its kids hurt.

1 The fact that I now work in this building, and its water supply, amuses me greatly as I write this. Personally, I think there’s more of a fly problem than anything else… ⤣

2 I do want to know where they get their numbers, as no source is named and I haven’t heard them released from the official channels. Is Madame Cleo operating out of Richmond now? ⤣

3 Yes, I know this line never occurred in the books. Still, it was too good to pass up—it starts with the youngest and most vulnerable. At the same time, I also think this may be giving the Monadnock Taxpayers Association far too many points for cleverness. ⤣

Gregarious

Share This