I am a junior at MacArthur High School. I have been a Levittown School District student since I started kindergarten. I can say hands down that I have received an exceptional education here. My teachers are top notch. Not only do they teach us our subjects in the classroom, but they teach and influence us outside the classroom as well. They give their time for extra help, they volunteer to participate in fundraisers for the PTA, and they cheer us on during athletic competitions. I respect my teachers tremendously, and know I have been successful because of their commitment to my education. With a failed budget, many of my past and present teachers will loose their jobs.
As a junior, I am about to start applying to college at a time when more people then ever in our nation’s history are going to college. The competition is fierce, especially for SUNY schools. If the budget is voted down, there will be no extracurricular activities next year. That means no sports, theater productions, model congress, key club, science/math Olympiads, etc. These activities are a very important part of our résumé as we apply to college, and often provide opportunities for scholarships. With a failed budget it will all be gone. While the loss of these activities impacts our ability to get into competitive colleges, an even greater issue is that these organized, structured and supervised events help keep us going on the right path in our lives. They provide positive opportunities for us to make good choices in our lives.
I know that people are angry about taxes, and they want to send that message by voting down the budget. But there must be a better way to send that message. In the end, the people that really get hurt when a budget fails are the students. Please send a message to the students of Levittown that you value and support our education by voting yes for the budget on May 18.
Evan Gardner
