Letter to the Editor: Say "Yes" To Voting on School Budget On April 27

On April 27, Holmdel residents have a unique opportunity to say “yes” to a local budget that includes no tax increase. 

You can also say “yes” to a few other things as well.

• You can say “yes” to a budget that finally addresses long delayed maintenance projects and infrastructure repairs, such as repairs to the parking lot at the Satz School and the High School.

• You can say “yes” to efforts to address growing class size and bolster our reading program with additional teaching support throughout our four schools.

• You can say “yes” to a district that has made a concerted effort to control expenses, such as $1.8 million in energy savings over the last two years.

• And most of all you can say “yes” to an educational system dedicated in providing children with multiple avenues for success—academically, athletically, and artistically.

I can’t speak for the school board as a whole, but I can offer you this personal perspective as a neighbor and fellow taxpayer.  For many years, I have talked to residents about the concerns they face, and the number one topic has always been taxes.  I’m extremely proud of the hard work by everyone associated with our school district from the administration to teachers to the parent groups to the school board, who have all worked together to achieve this milestone of a “zero” percent increase without sacrificing the high standards associated with one of the finest public educational programs in the country. 

Now you have the opportunity to place the final piece to the puzzle.  Please participate on April 27 and vote in this year’s school budget election. 

Mike Sockol