Mathew Swerdloff's Letter to the Editor 12/30/09: Make Your Decision Based on Fact

Earlier this month I attended a New Paltz Board of Education meeting and heard many residents speak eloquently for and against the proposed middle school renovation project. I also heard some using scare tactics and personal intimidation to get their point across. Personally, I will listen to any opinion if it is presented in a respectful and polite way. I'm not so accommodating to the person hurling personal insults or using inflammatory and misleading rhetoric. In this instance I have the advantage of not serving on the Board of Education, so I can just walk away from someone using that communication method. At the last board meeting I witnessed our unpaid, volunteer board members listened and responded to many individuals speaking in such a hostile and intimidating manner. Much to my amazement I heard several outright lies and a lot more simple errors in the facts. All of us should keep in mind that School Board members are elected by us, they are trained by the New York State School Boards Association and other bodies and they work in partnership with licensed and experienced school administrators.

I ask those who are interested in this issue to consider the facts, not the threats, rhetoric or doomsday scenarios presented by the vocal opposition. The New Paltz Middle School is an outdated and inadequate structure that requires significant repair or renovations to continue to function at the current level. However, the current level is sub standard. For example, the building is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The central kitchen for the entire district, housed in the middle school, is grossly under equipped for serving a district of this size. Mechanical systems (heating, plumbing, ventilation) are in poor order and highly inefficient. The real question is not "do we renovate?" The real question is "do we renovate now, proactively, in an efficient and well-planned manner, or do we pump more money into quick fixes which will eventually be replaced anyway?" The real question is not "can we afford this now?" The real question is "can we afford to not do this now?" The real question is not "can the Board of Education handle this project?" The real question is "what can we as a community do to support our elected representatives in serving the needs of our students today, tomorrow and long into the future?"

Thomas Jefferson once said that "whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government." The New Paltz Board of Education and superintendent have lived up to this ideal by providing this community with a plethora of information for over a year on the middle school and the proposed renovation. We have literally had community forums, a blog, print newsletters, website pages, guided building tours, morning coffees, PTA presentations and open board meetings. I have never seen such an abundance of information on a topic and such a measured outreach asking for community input. I encourage those of you that are interest in this issue to come to board meetings, get the facts from the source (the district, board trustees, the superintendent), not rumors, partisan newspaper ads, or innuendo. Ultimately, we all get to decide on this issue on Feb. 9 at a special election to approve funding for the project. The Board of Education and administration has put this initiative forward because they feel it is essential to the success of our district and our students. You decide, but please decide based on the facts, not your fears.

Mathew Swerdloff
Gardiner