Athens schools are vital to save
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
To the Editor: As a member of the Athens community and one that has been here my whole life, I’m shocked at the lack of foresight recently on the importance the school district has on Athens. I feel it is the center of the universe for villages our size. If we support it, the school will thrive and Athens will thrive, if not, there is plenty of evidence what happens to a village when the school leaves, the town slowly dies.
As a businessperson I know what the cost of labor, maintenance, utilities and other expenses have done over the last few years and for the school district it is no different. The skills the children need to be taught to become successful require more technology in the classroom and more space to teach it in and this all takes money.
Lorene and I never had kids so we really don’t have any skin in this game and the increased cost to our business will be felt, but in my opinion the benefits far outweigh the negatives. I truly believe it would be a big mistake not to get this referendum passed. Tom Mueller Athens
To the Editor: I’m writing with grave concerns regarding the Athens School District referendum. Our family’s story is unique as we don’t currently reside in the district. My wife & I aren’t eligible to cast our own votes in favor of the April 4th referendum regardless of how much we need this referendum to pass for our sons.
Even though we don’t currently live in the village, we have a history with it. I student taught under Pat Kelley in the technology education department before moving onto another local district to teach. We bought our first house in the village when my wife started teaching in the Athens School District. Athens was home for eight years before we moved to the Dorchester area.
After moving away, our appreciation for the Athens community grew. Athens is a true hometown. The community pride and good, hard working people of Athens paired with its quaintness make it a great place to live and raise a family. In addition to missing Athens and the people there, we knew that our children’s specific needs wouldn’t be met in the other local districts we had as options. My wife & I have teaching experiences in three local schools including Athens. Therefore, we open enrolled our children in the Athens School District because we knew what the district had to offer. We believe ASD has phenomenal teachers and programming, especially Ms. Hessefort, the school’s reading specialist running the Title I program.
For the last two years, we have been transporting our children to & from school with the plan to move back to the community and live where our kids go to school. We broke ground in July to build our forever home in Athens. We have been so excited to come back to Athens but as this referendum approaches, we question ourselves. Why would we stay in Athens with no school? Should we sell before we even move in? Should we sell before the town disappears with shuttered stores, gas stations, and restaurants like the other towns in the state that have lost their schools?
These questions may seem like we are jumping the gun. However, if this referendum fails, state law prohibits the district from going to referendum until April 2024. WE MUST ACT NOW! With a budget shortfall this significant, there is no way to balance the budget while still providing a quality education. Wherever you stand, please get informed before casting your vote and attend the town hall meeting at the Town of Hamburg on March 29 at 6 pm or visit the school website for details. The situation is dire.
We hope that those worst-case scenario questions become a moot point because the community rallies in support this time. We hope that we have a long relationship with the schools, local businesses, and the people that first drew us to this village and have us coming back to it. Please support the schools in Athens & vote yes on April 4th.
Jim Weideman Future Athens resident
