Letter to the Editor: State Rep. Has a 'Lack of Understanding of our Budget Needs'
Selectman and state representative candidate Daniel Bennett writes to criticize a statement by the sitting state representative that $100,000 in extra money to cover busing costs for homeless students is hitting the jackpot.
To the Editor: In July, Ted Speliotis told the press that “Danvers had hit the jackpot” with the fiscal 2013 budget. He went on to say that it had “over $100,000 in extra money for the town.” I'm not sure if Ted knows what a jackpot is. He was referring to the money Danvers was given to offset the cost of transporting homeless kids back to their home communities. However, it has cost the town more than $275,000 in the last two years just in busing costs alone. This does not cover the additional cost to the School Department for teaching students. Granted they have been able to accommodate these 97 kids within the budget, but it is obvious that it required a lot of shifting and balancing in our schools. Also the added time for the school …
In this Article:
Sean Ward
9:29 am on Monday, September 24, 2012
Treat these families this way? In western MA low income housing developments with market rents around $500 list vacancy rates of 20 - 40%. These families know about it but they have found a loophole. Be "homeless" and you get to send your kids to schools in communities that most people worked hard to settle in without paying taxes. They are not as dumb as you might think. I worked hard, bought a … more ›