To the Voters of Mendon:
As our community approaches it’s second vote on the Proposition 2 1/2 override, a recurring theme has emerged in my conversations with friends and neighbors. I am unsettled by the number of people I have spoken to who voted against the override simply due to objections to the Districts 1:1 Learning initiative and, more specifically, to the purchase of iPads for students. I would like to address my comments specifically to these voters and urge them to reconsider.
First, I would like to encourage voters to re-examine the budget proposal presented at the Open Budget Hearing. According to this document, investments in technology, which would include SMARTboards as well as district ownership of the iPads, represent only .5% of the total budget. To vote “No” on a comprehensive School Budget based on a dispute over such a small expenditure is to lose the forest for the trees.
More importantly, digital citizenship is an essential tool for the children of our community and should be an integral part of any responsible school district vision statement. Several districts in Massachusetts have well established 1:1 Learning models, while many others are moving in that direction. If we support the district’s Strategic Plan as proposed, Mendon-Upton will be poised as a role model for the implementation of 1:1 Learning initiatives across the state. Continued investment in this vision provides our students with a competitive advantage over many wealthier and higher performing districts in both their educational endeavors and, eventually, the job market.
Given that according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, growth in Computer Technology fields is outpacing growth in all other sectors, I would argue that Mendon’s investment in a 1:1 Learning initiative is a fiscally responsible and targeted investment in our children’s future.
Respectfully Submitted
Kerry Laurence
Mendon
UPTON DAILY 
I don’t agree with everything the library stocks for books, or the beach operating hours, or how frequently they plow my street, or every program the senior center runs, but I support them all because they make the community better.
Those acting for themselves or to send some sort of a message will continue to vote “no” to make their point, but it will be at the expense of all of us. The students will suffer now, and the rest of the community will hurt later.
Please consider a “yes” vote for the good of the community as a whole.
We ‘ll meet you half way Kerry. Oh wait the school committe insists it’s their way the highway? Never mind.
Excellent letter Kerry. As a parent of three kids in the school district I don’t always agree with everything that the school does either but I still support the schools and I supported the override in Upton. As for the I-Pads those were previously funded by families. The school was left with no choice but to fund them based upon a challenge to that policy. Why are some people blaming the school for that? The bottom line as I see it is that the ones who will suffer the most by inadequately funded schools are the students. It’s not fair to punish them because you don’t agree completely with everything our district does. And if you are that opposed to our district, you have other options: choice out, private school, homeschool. I have actually done some of these myself over the years when I’ve had to. Regardless, I have and will always support our schools because to shortchange the education of our students is unconscionable.
Kerry, I am completely on board with you. Voting no simply because of iPads is very shortsighted and I hope our voters do a better job at looking deep into the finances and not just take things on face value. I was a no voter….until I questioned everybody on everything in gory detail.
I 100% disagree with an iPad initiative in general, and believe there are much better values out there which are much more applicable to the real world. At the end of the day, switching over to the value solutions doesn’t make or break the need for an override in any way. It’s a very small relative amount and a very small variable in a very large equation.