The Story
Tomorrow is voting day!
Wait, what?
Tomorrow, those eligible to participate can cast their vote in the annual school district election. On this year’s ballot, there are 9 articles that the town will be voting on regarding the school district. Still totally confused? Don’t worry, we’ll give you the basics.
What’s on the ballot?
First and foremost, there is one school board spot up for grabs, and two people are running for it: Bill Foote and Sue Jennato. Besides that, Bedford citizens will be voting on whether the custodians, as well as teaching assistants, secretaries, clerks, and food service staff, should be granted a raise in their salaries. We think it’s kind of a no brainer, but hey, it’s up to the voters! According to the ballot, the school board voted unanimously to recommend this question, and it came about through negotiations with the staff members. You go, staff! Get that coin!
What else?
The sprinklers and alarms at Peter Woodbury, Memorial, and McKelvie need updating. You might be asking, why is this even a question on a ballot? Apparently, these installations will cost 1,309,00 dollars! This question is different than the others because it requires more than a majority vote, instead opting for a 3/5 vote. So we’ll see what happens there.
And of course…
We also have the never-ending turf battle, left over from last year. As you probably know at this point, the ballot is asking whether or not we should fund the refurbishing of the turf, as well as fund renovations to Higgins Track, gym floor resurfacing, and Preston Field improvements, all for a low price of 793,100 dollars. Want to know more about the turf? We have a whole article on why it needs to be replaced. Let’s hope this gets settled once and for all, because we can’t stand hearing about it for another year.
Don’t forget:
The second to last question: whether or not to raise the operating budget of the school district by 1,224,506 dollars. This also got shut down last year by the voters, which inevitably caused a lot of drama (cough cough, cutting Latin from the budget). This budget increase is separate from the money for the other articles on the ballot, and it requires a majority vote. If the article is not passed, the school board will default to last year’s operating budget, and of course, you’ll hear everyone complaining about it. Again. Want to know more about the budget? We have a whole article on taxpayers vs. the school board.
So what?
Most of these articles will directly affect the school district that you attend. They’ll also change how much you pay in taxes, and contrary to popular belief, not everyone in Bedford is made of money. Surprise! Plus, this only happens once a year. So go vote! Or tell your parents to vote. After all, it is your civic duty.
The Runaway
Voting is important, and apparently, we’ve written articles on a lot of things on the ballot. Who knew?
What to Say…
When you’re as off the grid as we were…
You need an update on sports, and a lot has happened in the month we took off. But in case you’re in the dark too: Swimming ended with a runner-up finish from the girls and a fourth place finish from the boys. Nordic girls finished runner-up at states as well. Both basketball teams are in the playoffs, as well as the boys hockey team. We’ll keep you posted.
Things to Know
Mrs. Noe has the tow truck company on speed dial, people. Park in the right place.