‘Clever rhetoric'

To the editor: I am a senior citizen, a grandmother of four children in the Warwick schools (two of which are currently in the high school) and a longtime reader of The Warwick Advertiser (for health care reasons I am currently residing in N.Y.C.). I am writing in disgust to the letters to the editor written by Michael A. Johndrow, executive director of the Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce and Michael F. Sweeton, supervisor of the Town of Warwick. I feel that both of these figures are improperly using their appointed or elected political persona to try to get the “regular folk” to sign onto their personal agenda. Aren’t appointed and elected officials supposed to be following the voice of their constituents instead of telling voters how to vote? While any senior citizen loves to hear the words “lower school taxes,” such a “promise” when tied to a premise based upon a “projected reduced enrollment,” is nonsense. Are we to assume that every resident in Warwick and Greenwood Lake is to stay put and not move or sell their home. Is there a building moratorium in effect that none of us know about? Are we to believe that no new houses will be built in the area opening the area and schools to new residents? Additionally, I have been to the high school to pick up my grandchildren. I don’t count lockers, I can see by the hallways at the change of classes that the school has more than enough children in it. The hallways are packed. My grandson and almost 80 other boys tried out for a sports team that could only support a roster of 21. I find it to be very distracting that the district uses statistics touting a very few number of classes with over 30 students in it to further their justifications for the plan. Asking my grandchildren and their friends about their average class size reveals that most classes have 28-29 students. Clever rhetoric on the part of the district or are we to believe that there is a meaningful difference in class sizes of 29 versus 30. I find it to be deceiving. Additionally, we have been told that the Greenwood Lake tuition will fund new electives and programs, yet the district has not provided any details about plans for these new electives and programs. Of course, we have to remember that the bulk of the tuition will not be paid until the fourth year of a plan that can be cancelled within the first three years, so really there is only a long term hope of the relevant funds to pay for any such programs. What education study ever said more students are better? I say shame on the people who call themselves educators for encouraging this plan. Remember the citizens of Warwick are the voters, and the ones with the voice; do not let officials who are throwing around titles that the citizens gave them to adversely affect the future of this town and the education of our children on the empty promise of lower taxes and better school programs. Jeanne Iaquinta Whitestone