Folks,
I imagine that most of you at one time or another over the 11+ years I have been on the Haddonfield Board of Election have had the opportunity to discuss some aspect of the educational program or budget of the school district with me. Maybe it was a general conversation or something of particular importance to you and your family. During that time, I have always sought to listen and take your opinions seriously. After all, we all work together to create the special community that is Haddonfield and the unique educational atmosphere we provide to our children. Some of the most difficult conversations were about developing our budget and seeking your support when the budget was being voted up or down. I say difficult because at those times I was asking you to agree to spend your money on the taxes that supported our schools. While I always believed passionately that the school board made the careful balancing decisions that justified asking you to agree to increase your taxes, I understood that however you want to phrase it, I was asking that you make a very personal decision on what each of you was willing to spend out of your own budget. Most of the time, you supported the board’s decisions and I thank you for that confidence.
Now we are faced with another of those times — a vote that will decide on more than one year; one that will affect this town for generations to come. Maybe your children are already through school or will be soon and your vote won’t be about you as much as the children and families that follow you. Your vote on whether the District buys the Bancroft property is both personal to you (your tax bill) and part of your legacy to this town; not dissimilar to the decisions that past generations made that allowed this school district to be there for your family.
I ask you to VOTE YES ON JANUARY 22nd.
There are many reasons to support this purchase. First and foremost, as important as the athletic fields and open space will be, with this land we will preserve options for our educational future that will simply not be available without it. I can’t tell you exactly what the challenges will be over the next 25 years or so, but I can guarantee there will be needs and that without this land will be very constrained. Some may see that as a luxury but I can assure you these same people will feel differently if the opportunities for their children or grandchildren can’t be met because there is simply no room. The one thing we know is that education is changing rapidly and while much of that will be electronic there is no way we will be providing a quality education without buildings and physical support systems.
90% of our high school students participate in extracurricular activities and large numbers of our youth are active in sports leagues. In a time when we are urged to have more physical activity isn’t this what we want? Well, our town has reached its limits. The open space and fields we will be able to create will transform the high school into a campus, encouraging more participation, more school and town support in a central place convenient to all with off-street parking and modern facilities. Citizens of all ages and interests will be able to enjoy open space, engage in school spirit and meet with friends and neighbors. This property will benefit the entire community, not just our schools.
The list can go on but I’ve taken enough of your time. You get the idea — I believe that a positive vote on January 22nd will turn out to be one of the wisest decisions you will make as citizens of Haddonfield and I urge you to vote yes.
I thank you for all of your past support and your friendship.
Steve Weinstein
