To the editor,

I moved to Raymond 11 years ago because it is a great town and had a great school system. The Raymond School Department had a commitment to our children that was superior when compared to many other school districts. There was a commitment to small class sizes and providing students with all the support they needed to be successful.

Currently, class sizes are growing. Guidance and social work support are being cut. And early intervention (as we know it) is being cut. We are being told that next year will bring additional cuts. Meanwhile, other parts of the budget are growing out of control. The cost of the superintendent is skyrocketing and the legal fees are out of control. As a taxpayer I want to spend my tax dollars to support the children, I do not feel good about making lawyers and superintendents rich. When my child starts school in a couple of years I certainly hope she gets the support she needs.

Perhaps we need a school board that shares the opinion of the “common citizen” because it is the school board’s job to listen to the taxpayers. They are supposed to regulate and manage the superintendent, not just agree with everything she says. The taxpayers of Raymond need to take control and get what we want and need for our children.

Keith Thomas

Raymond