By LARRY MAIER
Ding, ding, ding.
The Jan. 31 Community Input Meeting at the Baldwin Senior High School had all the trappings of a heavyweight prize fight.
A standing-room-only crowd of full-day kindergarten and class-size-reduction supporters slugged it out for the attention of the judges, namely the Baldwin School District Board of Education, hoping to gain an advantage for their side heading into the school-budget hearings in March.
Baldwin residents used the forum to voice their opinions as to which option would best serve the needs of school children and the community.
The evening's debate stemmed from the recommendation made by Superintendent Dr. Kathy Weiss at the Dec. 13 board meeting.to consider a full-day K program and reduce class sizes in grades K thru 5, both for the 2001-2002 school year. The superintendent made her recommendation based on the findings of two research committees created in September to study the merits of both programs.
The school board will decide on whether to take the superintendent's recommendation and adopt both programs, or pick just one to begin next year. It may also elect to do neither.
At the meeting, some parents argued the merits of one program over the other and encouraged the school board not to follow the superintendent's recommendation but instead choose to institute just one program for next year.
We need to concentrate on one thing at a time, said Sue Strein, who is in favor of reducing class sizes.
Residents in favor of adopting just one program said that it would be too costly and too ambitious to try to institute both for next year. The community would not support a significant increase in school taxes, they said.
However, there was also a strong contingent of parents who encouraged the school board to start both programs next year, whatever the tax implications.
One resident urged the board to not be shy about asking for a tax increase.
Lorraine Zellar-Agostino said that the conservative estimate of costs offered by the superintendent for establishing both full-day K and reducing class sizes is less than one-half percent of last year's total budget. Zellar-Agostino said that most parents spend hundreds of dollars on gifts for their children during the holidays.
This is the best present we can give our children, said Zellar-Agostino. We are behind passing this budget.
There will certainly be more discussion on these matters at the next school board meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 14 at 8 p.m. at Plaza School.
