O P I N I O N
THE SOAPBOX
Stand up. Speak up. It’s your turn.
These are challenging times for our city, for our state and our country. Difficult decisions need to be made. We should be thankful for the few easy decisions. One easy decision is to vote to approve the budget for Manchester Public Schools and to allow our school children to have the full benefit of the money sent from our state legislature. It would be unconscionable to not vote to accept the money that has been allocated for our schools because of political ideology or small-mindedness.
Many citizens do not realize that our city can not spend money given to it by the state without overriding the spending portion of the tax cap. Yet it is craziness to refuse to cash a check sent to us by the state.
Everyone has heard the slogan “Black Lives Matter.” There is a dawning realization that we have much work to do to rid ourselves of the scourge of racism. Our BoSC did itself proud last night when it adopted a resolution recognizing the historical inadequacies in our treatment of our Black and minority populations in our schools. It was a small but important step.
The bigotry of some members of previous boards is in the past. Our Board of Mayor and Aldermen can make a similar stand. We live in a great city, yet we spend less than almost every other town in the state on our children’s education. Shame on us. Make no mistake, poorly funded public schools for our Black and minority and low-income populations is the hallmark of institutional racism. We have inner-city schools in Manchester that are funded at less than half what some of the wealthier schools in the state get. Shame on us!
Any vote to deny the people of Manchester the right to use the money sent by Concord for our schools is a vote that adds to the unequal treatment of our poorest populations. Don’t go to bed tonight thinking of yourselves as honest stewards of the people’s money if you vote to deny these funds to our schools. Institutional racism exists everywhere. It is up to us to root it out. Do not add to the underfunding of our children’s education by voting to deny them the benefit of state education dollars.
Beg to differ? Agree to disagree? Send submissions to carolrobidoux@manchesterinklink.com, subject line: The Soapbox.
Editor’s Note: This Soapbox was submitted Tuesday afternoon prior to the vote by the Board of Alderman which did not override the expenditure cap, effectively rejecting the state allocation referred to below.
Jim O’Connell is an At-Large representative of the Manchester Board of School Committee.
