Dear Mr. Patel,
I am a taxpayer living in Yonkers. I am aware of the city budget crisis, and of Mr. Pierorazio's statements this weekend regarding busing cuts and Pre K cuts. These cuts will hurt my neighbors, and we are not happy.
I have two questions for you:
1. How can you justify the millions of dollars of expenses associated with summer school for students who failed during the school year. Taxpayers pay for their education once and then have to pay for their education again during the summer?
Instead of my neighbors kids going to Pre K, we are paying twice for the education of some students. Is the reason for this to keep the abysmal graduation rate up so that certain Yonkers Public Schools staff can receive contractual bonuses? Why not make these students repeat the grade as we did in the old days?
2. Is it true that there are secretaries in the Superintendent's office making upwards of $100,000. How can you cut programs and services if this is in fact true? In the private sector rarely does a secretary make anywhere near that kind of money.
I hope that you and the other Trustees will start advocating for our children, as the only one I see advocating publicly is Mr. Pierorazio.
I await your response. The children of Yonkers await your action.
Sincerely,
Alan Smith
Yonkers, NY
