Laurie Oliver, Westford resident

Westford Public Schools is the reason most people come to our lovely town looking for a home.

Our school system is renowned for high standards, impressive academic performance, great teachers, quality co-curriculars including its amazing Fine and Performing Arts programs. As Westford residents we have much to be proud of and, if we are a family with children, our kids certainly benefit. 

Except for one thing. We expect our wonderful school system to thrive on a bare bones budget.

How do I know this?  I am a resident, parent and teacher who  just retired in June 2023 after 32 years teaching in the  Westford Public Schools.   I have seen our services dwindle down each year.  From the loss of technology teachers, teacher assistants, programs and lower teacher budgets for materials, there has been a steady decrease of funding each year-– all in an effort to save taxpayer money.  I have noticed that when a teacher retires they are not always replaced but an effort is made to reorganize in order to save money.  Attending workshops and professional development classes over the years, I have discovered from teachers in other towns that most, if not all, seem to have resources we lack.  Our School System is frugal..  We have “more bang for our buck” and we are proud of it.  

Why has our school system somehow managed this success despite the lack of funding and one of the lowest per pupil expenditures in the area?  The answer has to do with the staff and teachers who dedicate their time, energy and lives to making our school system one of the best in Massachusetts. They are passionate, hard-working and resourceful.  They are talented, driven and smart.  But even more than this and most importantly, they care. Their morale is the backbone of our success. 

The Covid era has already had an effect on Westford Public Schools.  It took a lot to teach and learn through a crisis like that.  It drained energy. Mental health was impacted.   Students still need to catch up. Many are still struggling. Now imagine the impact of the override failing. Suddenly, there are cuts and many wonderful teachers are gone, course offerings disappear and class size increases.  Imagine thirty students in a class at Westford Academy. The rooms are small and the teacher’s energy is spread too thin. The class that students wanted to take that could have changed their life and inspired a future career, is no longer offered. Some students in the Elementary and Middle Schools need extra help during math and language arts but there are no interventionists to help them. No reading teachers or literacy specialists. What will be the future cost of the intervention they may need as they fall farther behind? Everything has a breaking point. 

Morale of the staff and students trends downward.  The quality of the Westford Public Schools trends downward. Town services trend downward.  Your property value ultimately trends downward. 

I have seen comments about solutions such as alternative sources of funding, solving the financial problems in the town and schools through new State legislation.  The problem with this is that alternative funding and any changes with State funding are not going to happen in time for next year and may well take years to negotiate and possibly never materialize. Our town needs adequate funding now, not years from now. 

Please know that there are many programs through the Town of Westford for those who struggle to pay taxes.  Westford offers tax relief for households such as senior citizens, disabled or low-income families to name just a few.  To check out these programs, please contact the Board of Assessors at (978) 692-5504 or click on the following link: 

https://westfordma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/12026/Summary-of-Programs

Our schools can not continue to meet standards of excellence without the support of Westford residents. Our town can not afford to jeopardize the safety and resources of residents by eliminating over nine positions including public safety officers. There are a lot of things wrong out there, tragedies and disasters that we can do nothing about. Here is something that we can control right here in Westford.  Supporting our residents and not jeopardizing safety and resources. Supporting our students, who are the future, is what we need to do.  Be a Westford hero: Vote yes for the override.

Disclaimer: If you would like to submit a letter to the editor, contact managing editor Ben Domaingue at bdomaingue@westfordcat.org. Letters to the editor are reviewed and published at the discretion of the editor. Letters to the editor represent the opinion of the reader who submits it and do not necessarily represent the opinions of WestfordCAT, its employees or any of its affiliates. WestfordCAT retains the right to refuse any letter to the editor for publication as it deems necessary.

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