When my husband and I retired to Maine, we chose Scarborough to call home. A major reason was the excellence of its schools. A town that cares for the future of its children is also a town with a rich life in terms of recreation, in support for its citizens, and that embraces the whole concept of “community.” We don’t have children or grandchildren in the schools, but community means supporting the development of all the children in the town. I suppose I could be pragmatic and say support of the schools and a reputation for excellence helps maintain or increase the value of our property, but the importance of that support goes beyond real estate. I want to live in a town that looks out for its children’s future, that acts for that future, rather than impedes it by decisions that are aimed only at today. A cut today in a child’s educational growth lasts for the rest of his/her education. Short-changing the school budget today leads us down a dangerous path of eroding the excellent system of education we currently have. We’ve watched that erosion of support for education with dismay. I urge the Town Council to look out for Scarborough’s future by fully funding excellent schools today.

Rachel Hendrickson

Scarborough