District doing its best with finances

Troy High teams need new scoreboards

Last month, I spent two Saturday afternoons at Troy High to watch some baseball. What stunned me, more than anything, was the huge disparity between the baseball/softball diamonds and Picken Memorial Field, on the opposite side of the four part sports complex on the campus.

A few years ago, Picken Field was renovated, with field-turf installed, plus a state- of-the-art electronic scoreboard. I wish I could say the same for the public address system, which seems to have been around since the dawn of time with the hisses and crackles I hear every year during football/soccer season. So what’s missing from the diamonds? A scoreboard. There’s no room for an announcer’s booth on that side of the complex, and the PA isn’t used for lacrosse at all, although the scoreboard is. It makes me wonder, as an alumnus and a fan, where the school’s priorities are. I know I’m not alone in wondering why some scores have been missing, but the simple answer there is that it’s not entirely the fault of the press.

Due to the constraints placed on the local press, it’s up to the school to have at least one or two volunteers report the scores in a timely manner to the Record and its competitors, both in print and on the air or online.

The only time Troy High charges admission for sports is for regular season basketball & football, as well as sectionals in both and any other sport that would qualify. Adding admission for baseball/softball would go a long way toward adding a scoreboard on the diamonds. Adding lights on that side of the complex, too, would enable the baseball & softball games to start later, say around 5:30- 6:00, and add some excitement to the games. With school board elections right around the corner, it’d be a nice idea to at least consider some more upgrades. Troy High definitely needs it.

— Jacob Gilbert

Troy

Dear residents of the Brunswick Central School District:

Now that the Board of Education has worked through another budget preparation season, I’m now reminded to express on behalf of the Board our gratitude to the district voters for their approval of our $9.98 million Capital Building Project. The measure passed by a vote of 328 (62%) to 200 (38%). We want you to know we greatly appreciate your support for this project, now being planned in detail so that work can start in 2018.

We remain mindful that, although a strong majority of our voters recognized the importance of the project, we also know from the exit polls that some voters were confused at the last minute by the way we were required by law to word the proposition, which seemed to authorize a tax levy. We reassure those voters that indeed, there will be no impact on your taxes from this project.

The Board is keenly aware that most of those “no” votes were probably the result of an economic reality where more people are finding it harder just to make ends meet. The Board will continue to keep that in mind as it continues to ensure that the kinds of programs and facilities that our students deserve are there for them.

You will see in the budget newsletter, we’ve kept the tax levy increase for the annual district budget below the 2% tax cap limit. We’ve done that to limit the financial impact on district residents while maintaining all of our current programs, teaching staff, and even making a few modest additions where they were much needed.

We know you’ll give those annual budget materials careful consideration before you come out to vote on May 16.

Thank you for your continued support of our district. — Mike Fortun Brunswick Central School District Board of Education president