Dear Editor:

As a parent of two children who successfully attended Edgecomb Eddy, a local business owner, and a community member, I have been reading the recent letters calling for a “No” vote on our school budget with great interest. These letters often mirror the talking points found in the flyers recently mailed out by the Edgecomb Citizens Tax Group.

This raises a fair question for our community: Are these letters coming from neighbors we know, or are they a coordinated effort by an anonymous group?

I visited the Tax Group’s website to find the "transparency and community collaboration" they claim to value. Instead, I found a list of vague professional titles but no names. Who sits on their board? How many of them have children currently enrolled in our school? How many are full-time residents? If you are asking your neighbors to vote against the school budget, you should be willing to stand behind your claims with a name and a face.

A "No" vote is a vote for stagnation. We should be looking for ways to grow our programs and give Edgecomb students every opportunity to compete and succeed. Our school is an investment, not just an expense.

This is why I am supporting Heather Sinclair for School Committee. Heather has served our town with a proven heart for seeing every child succeed. She represents the open, honest leadership we need to move forward!

I urge my neighbors to attend the School Town Meeting on Saturday, May 2, at 10 a.m. at the Eddy School. Let’s have a real conversation based on facts, not anonymous flyers. And on May 16, please join me in voting for Heather Sinclair and a budget that moves Edgecomb forward.  Think about the students and the value of the school to our community. 

Michael Gaffney

Edgecomb