Next Tuesday, July 23, in Jefferson a small number of residents are going to commit the town to a course of action.
If they approve the school budget as presented, voters will decide to undertake a bold social experiment wherein they stretch the concept of doing more with less to its breaking point.
If they send the budget back to the school board, they could end choosing the road more traveled, which eventually leads to passing the escalating cost of doing business onto the local taxpayer.
Neither choice is desirable.
As observers, we can sit back and see the school committee doing the best they can with the choices presented, and we can equally understand and identify with the frustrations of the taxpayers who are treated like the perpetual father of the bride.
On both sides of the equation, the school committee and the public who foots the bills, there is only so much they can do. Neither has any control over the budget or educational priorities at the state and federal level that shape how our schools operate.
We have our own opinion of the better of the two decisions in this case but this is a Jefferson question for Jefferson residents.
One thing we are certain of is that the barest fraction of registered Jefferson voters will participate and that is our concern.
Our democratic form of government may be currently straining under the weight of the modern bureaucratic Colossus we have created, but our 237-year-old social experiment has continually proven that the best form of government is one by the people, for the people, and of the people.
We hope the residents of Jefferson participate en masse in their vote next week. It’s an important decision, and everyone with a stake in the outcome should have their say.
