TOTAL VOTE BY TOWN:

SHARON
NO 120 YES 55
SALISBURY
NO 127 YES 159
FALLS VILLAGE
NO 101 YES 21
CORNWALL
NO 113 YES 81
NORTH CANAAN
NO 120 YES 90
KENT
NO 101 YES 73
—————–
TOTAL NO 682 YES 479 BUDGET IS DEFEATED

Watch this video please and then share and cross-post so everyone knows what we are dealing with in Region One.

At the end of the Sharon Center School Board Of Education Meeting last night, an item was (at the last-minute) added to the agenda about the All Boards Chairmen Meeting that was scheduled for today( Tuesday, September 17). You can see how uncomfortable it is that NO ONE knew about this until it was announced at the table, and then, the superintendent feebly tries to explain how the A,B,C wants to “examine” how to change a state stature on how the region is overseen by the Region One Board Of Education. It’s obvious our superintendent knew all about it as she takes over the meeting and explains what the A.B.C. meeting is about!(just like she probably explained it to the A.B.C members already. It is obvious by this set-up that the superintendent knows the score, and is trying to have the A.B.C. “save her bacon”, at the last-minute by trying to “ram thu” changes to the governance at the last-minute with the A.B.C recommending changes to a Region One board that is controlled by the superintendents “block of three”. Watch this video carefully and you will see that no one, except maybe the Principal of Sharon Center School and the Superintendent knew about this, the video does not lie. Please spread this and cross-post this message with the advice to once again defeat the budget this vote, and send a message to the A.B.C and the administration that we will NEVER allow the process to be subverted at the last possible moment. This is a matter that should be left up to a newly elected Region One Board of education in November, to negotiate with the A.B.C. AFTER the election. We should NEVER let a board with four of six members leaving try to seal the fate of a newly elected Region One Board Of Education in November. That my friends is back room, closed-door, unethical politics at its worst. Please lets show them that we value our vote in November, by defeating this budget again today and protect our vote in November. By the way, the A.B.C. meeting tonight is open to the public but, alas, WITH NO PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE AGENDA! This board wants to be entrusted with more than advisory power when they won’t even take comments from the public? Please, watch the video, it is unedited and it does not lie, this is the beginning of more huge legal bills, and policies rammed thru that will take your vote in November and render it useless. This is NO WAY TO RUN our school system.

About 50 fewer students enrolled in Region 1 schools, High School attendence up.

The Region 1 Central Office has released en­rollment figures for the start of the 2013-2014 school year as compared to the official October 2012 numbers. The state uses the totals as of Oct. 1 each year.

The total for the district was 1,632, down from 1,685 last October. The individual schools, their current enrollment and last year’s enrollment are: North Canaan Elementary School, 295, down from 315; Cornwall Consolidated School, 104, up from 103; Lee H. Kellogg School, 77, up from 75; Kent Center School, 270, down from 271; Salisbury Central School, 279, down from 310, Sharon Cen­ter School, 176, down from 188; and Housatonic Valley Regional High School, 431, up from 423. —Associated Press NEW MILFORD 

REAL ISSUE IN REGION 1 BUDGET VOTES IS POOR JOB BY BOARD

I was surprised and disappointed by the Sept. 12 editorial “Real enemy is apathy,” concerning the Region 1 School District budget. The Republi­can- American seemed to endorse Board of Education Chairman Jonathan Moore’s strategy of trying to divide and conquer by suggesting there is a group of voters who have been voting no and another group comprised of parents who, if they voted, would have voted yes.

The issue in the five referendums has not been the budget but rather the fact the board and some adminis­trators have not been doing a proper job. Neither has been willing to listen to parents, taxpayers and students who have expressed concerns re­garding these matters. That leaves the place that democracy provides for voices to be heard by those un­willing to listen: the voting booth.

Voter turnout could be better in most elections, but to suggest we are not performing our civic duty be­cause the budget hasn’t passed is wrong. Would we be performing this duty if we passed the budget and thereby gave approval to the poor job of educating students? I think not.

When I was chairman of the state Board of Education, I could almost always count on the Republican-American to be an advocate for stu­dents. The newspaper can do better than this editorial.

Craig Toensing

Falls Village