It seems like the more time you take to get to know the facts about the elementary school issue, the more likely you are to vote yes. I count myself as one who was initially vehemently opposed to a new building. I never had and never will have kids in the school system. To me, the existing building looked fine from the outside. But then I heard about mold and problems with plumbing, the awful heating system, and electrical issues, plus kids having to eat lunch in shifts. I saw the limitations of the current space for teachers and students. I looked more closely at the tiny gym and the lack of any open teaching spaces. I saw what it would cost to literally tear open walls, ceilings, and the roof to repair and replace the existing building versus constructing a new building. The cost difference wasn’t that much—but the actual gain for students, teachers, administrators, and the community was substantial.
My position not only evolved in favor of a new elementary school building, but I even decided it was important enough to assist in getting that message out via a video my company produced (and donated) to encourage people to educate themselves and make up their own minds (https://sites.google.com/psharvard.org/hesbuildingproject/home). None of us want our taxes to go up, myself included. But I would rather spend good money on a well-constructed, modern school than waste money on something those of us who plan to live here for many more years will be fixing, or even replacing, in 15 to 20 years, at a much higher cost.
On a side note, I just spent the past six months in an EMT class with several Bromfield students. These students were smart, dedicated, hardworking, and respectful. I was awed by their talents. My compliments to them, their parents, and a school system that is turning out the next generation of people who will make the world a better place than we did. If that’s what my taxes are helping to achieve, these students (and other Harvard students I know) are money well spent. These kids are our future, folks. Please don’t let them down.
Robert Curran
Slough Road
