Correcting Some Errors

Thomas Moore former Croydon School Board member had a Letter to the Editor printed in the Valley News.   Jim Peschke former School Board member responded to Thomas Moore's Letter.   The quoted sentences in black are from Thomas Moore's letter.  Jim's responses are in red.  

Cathy Peschke

“Cutting the Croydon school budget to $800,000 means families would pay $8,000-$9,000 per student for “public” school.” - FALSE

FACT: The amount depends on the school selected.  These numbers apply to Newport, one of the most expensive public schools in the area, and one of the worst performing according to state testing.  Sunapee would be closer to $6,000.  Most charter schools, Prenda, Kai as well as private Newport Montessori and Mount Royal would remain cost-free to the parent.

“...townspeople to pay an extra $100-$200 per year to pay for the original budget.” - MISLEADING

FACT: These small numbers seem compare the original $1.7 million to last year’s budget, not the new $800,000 budget.  Raising the budget on May 7th would increase school taxes on a $300,000 home by over $2,000 per year.

“I say it is unfair to expect parents to come up with $9,000 per child for basic public education!” - If it were only that cheap!

I say it is unfair to expect the town to come up with $17,000 per child for public education.  Tom is not objecting to the cost, almost twice the number cited.  He’s objecting to paying part of this cost out of his own pocket.  He’d rather burden his neighbors with the cost.

“They are shifting the financial responsibility to families raising children or offering them a sub-par alternative.” - FALSE DICHOTOMY

FACT: Evidence shows that microschools outperform many public schools.  That NMS and MRA outperform public schools is well established.

“Most of us have benefited from public education.” - MISLEADING

“Public education” does not mean “public schools”.  Does a child benefit from going to a public school when less money could have been used to send that same child to a better school?  Must include opportunity costs.

“It is our civic duty to share the cost of children’s education.” - Your opinion, not shared by many.

Education is a parental responsibility.

“The board cannot even guarantee the legality of the micro-school proposal.” - DELIBERATELY MISLEADING

This is a made-up red-herring argument.  There is no evidence whatsoever, other than the dreams of people wanting to kill education progress, that the micro-school proposal runs afoul of the law.  This is simply wishful thinking. These microschools already have a contract with the State of New Hampshire to provide education.  Obviously the State doesn’t consider it illegal.

“It will be the death of our community if this reckless decision stands.”

Just like school choice was in 2014, right?

“Next year the deficit spending will be added to the tax rate, making it higher than anybody in town wants.” - FALSE.

Like “bad math” false.  So let’s try some math and see where it takes us.  The budget is $800,000, but let’s suppose Tom is right and we actually have to spend, say $1,000,000 in 2022.  Next year, the board says “Oops, we needed more money.  We’ll budget $1,080,000 (8% increase) for 2023, but we have to repay the $200,000 we had to borrow, plus $20,000 interest (10%).  So now we need $1,300,000 for 2023.

Is this $1,300,000 “higher than anybody in town wants?”  If so, what do you think of $1,700,000?

In the $200,000 deficit scenario, we spend a total of $2,100,000 for 2023 and 2024.  In the tax hike scenario Tom advocates, we spend $3,400,000 over the same period, and this assumes no increase at all for 2023.

You don’t save tax money by spending more of it!

“Families have been moving to our town, and property values were increasing because we had an attractive school choice program and a successful little school.” - PARTLY TRUE

In my time on the board, several families had indicated that they moved here for school choice, which the $800,000 budget preserves.  I do not recall a single family claiming to have moved here because of CVS.  Test scores at CVS are unremarkable.  Low property taxes are a powerful incentive and are proven to increase property values.

“Please join us to reverse this awful decision at 9 a.m. on May 7 at Camp Coniston.” - NO, PLEASE DON’T

The only “awful” decision was to attempt to resurrect the nightmarish $1,700,000 budget.  Stay home if you want to reverse a truly awful decision.

Visit vnews.com to read Thomas Moore's letter,