Editorial
Reviewing

For weeks and even months now the residents of Ashburnham and Westminster have been debating whether or not to fund the school budget through overrides of Propositions 2 1/2, and therefore increase the tax base.

During the debates there have been many arguments against increasing the tax base. Some are focused on local situations (as they should) and other focus on national or state issues (which they should not).

The argument that you cannot afford to support the override because the additional money will force you to sell your house, is a very valid reason not to vote for the override. An override is a local issue so residents can decide what is best for themselves and their community.

There is an argument to be made that the teachers' salaries should either be cut or should be frozen. There is money built into upcoming budget that will accommodate potential raises for members of the school's staff. The problem with condemning the results of the negotiations with the teachers' union is there are no results yet.

The other argument that is very popular is that the school district should live within its' means, just like each of us must and the shouldn't ask for an override.

Let us consider the school's means (the money they received from the local, state and federal governments) to be similar to the salary most residents set their budget by. If we are financially strapped then many of us would consider cutting expenditures - the school committee has laid out their options for this scenario.

But before we do that many of us would look to increase our income either by getting an additional job, renting a part of our property, or by asking our employers for a raise. And if one of these choices doesn't work then we would try the next option.

The school district is doing just that by asking voters to reduce the number of cuts to the budget by asking for an override of Proposition 2 1/2. Yes, they have already asked but now they are asking for less to see if voters want to bring back some of the items they rejected before.