As summer arrives and the school year draws to a close, we find ourselves shaking our heads in bewilderment as the school budget is examined and dissected.

For 15 years, we have been taxpaying Auburn citizens and parents of children who attend the Auburn schools. When is the education of our children going to become a priority for this city?

City services are necessary and economic growth vital to a vibrant, thriving community. Budgets must be scrutinized, duplication of services eliminated, waste minimized and nonessential spending curtailed. These are not easy tasks, but as difficult as they may be, priorities must be maintained.

If a successful plan for maintaining and progressing educational opportunities for our children is not a priority, we can’t expect to enhance the economic and social well-being of our community. If our children are not availed an education that provides them with the tools to meet the challenging demands of our society as adults, are we really advocating for our community’s success and growth?

The schools deserve their fair share of the city’s monies or we will indeed be taking steps “backwards” into the future.

Are the costs of cutting teachers and programs and not maintaining our education facilities costs that we, the citizens of Auburn, can afford?

We don’t think so. We expect that our elected officials will reflect the values of the citizens they represent and provide our professional educators with the appropriate resources so that our children are afforded the best possible education.

Jane Brodsky, Auburn

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