I urge Westbrook voters to support our students by voting “Yes” on the school budget on June 9. The budget was unanimously approved by the school committee after months of public meetings and difficult decisions.

The original proposal called for a 9.88% expenditure increase, driven largely by rising costs outside the district’s control, including inflating costs for labor and healthcare. The committee reduced that increase to 7.24%, cutting more than $1 million from the budget. We cannot afford to cut more. The future prosperity of our city depends on providing a good education to our youth. Further cuts would mean fewer teachers and less support for students.

Costs are rising everywhere, and the burden on taxpayers is real. But shortchanging our schools would harm both our children and Westbrook’s future. Please vote “Yes” for our students, our city and our future.

David Morse
Westbrook