Our board of education has proposed a budget increase of 2.56 percent, which for the fifth year running is among the lowest on Long Island.
This May 21 is a referendum on education and keeping Manhasset’s excellent educational opportunities for children. Wow did the focus shift to taxes?!
Manhasset is synonymous with high performing schools, and I will vote Yes to keep that excellence alive. Let’s keep our focus on what matters: education and laying a solid foundation for our children’s future.
We really should be asking ourselves: is 2.56 percent enough to ensure that Manhasset remains a premier school district? I have attended enough board meetings to say confidently, that yes, it is for now, but to continue our high standards, we need to think about how we will prepare for the future after we pass this budget on May 21.
When my husband and I moved here 12 years ago, this community was No. 1 in per pupil spending. This fiscally responsible leadership team has brought that down to No. 17. We have spent the last five years holding onto what we have; we need to start asking, when will we be standard setters in education again?
I firmly believe that if you want something for your children, you must advocate for it.
Though I may not always agree with the board, they have certainly been responsive to any of my inquiries and have engaged in a thorough discussion regarding any of my requests.
For the last two months especially, the administration and the board have worked tirelessly to listen to the Manhasset community and find out what matters most to us in order to preserve programs and optimize our children’s educational experience in these challenging times. If the budget doesn’t pass our children will be the ones who lose.
Fund what our schools need; keep our schools great. Vote Yes on May 21.
Our students deserve that at the very least.
Zari Ginsburg
Manhasset
