It was exhilarating: a wonderful display of civic engagement and democracy in action! The place: Kearsarge High School in Sutton. The event: The annual school meeting deliberate session on Jan. 4. The crystallizing issue: A citizen petition that sought to do a hatchet job on the Kearsarge District School budget. So many people attended that crowds in the gym spilled over into the auditorium, cafeteria, and school library. 92% of the voters voted against the petition, refuting the disasters in Croydon and Pembroke, a clearly anti-public school commissioner of education, and a Republican-dominated state legislature that ignores court orders to address educational needs in the state.

The claim that property taxes are too high should shift the focus of attention to the state legislature, 50th in the country in supporting education. They continue to expand educational vouchers, which drain the coffers of our towns. And they’ve passed numerous unfunded mandates that burden public schools but do not apply to private and religious schools that receive vouchers. Another clear message that was sent at the meeting was that people who think there is fat in the budget need to attend school board and municipal budget committee meetings to question concrete items in the budget. Among other things, they’ll often find good reasoning or mandates behind those items. It was uplifting to hear students past and present as well as parents affirm the quality of education that is being offered in the Kearsarge schools. What a way to start 2025.

Allan MacDonald

New London