Letter: Vote YES for the Children & Future of Lanesborough
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To the Editor:
As the critical vote to keep the Mount Greylock school building project alive nears on Tuesday, I feel I must join those who are speaking out publicly to support the project, in the hope that I can convince even a few more of my fellow Lanesborough citizens to vote yes.
I grew up in Pittsfield and am a product of the Pittsfield Public Schools, as is my wife. I spent 15 years living in various other places after graduating from PHS, but when we were expecting our first child together in 2011, we decided that we wanted to buy a home and raise our children in the Berkshires. We ultimately determined that Lanesborough was right for us, precisely and primarily because of the reputation of Lanesborough School and Mount Greylock.
We now have three children who will be entering the school system within the next three years, so you might say we're doing our part to keep the school-age population from declining. The quality of their education is of paramount importance to us, and we believe that can be accomplished here in Lanesborough.
There is no doubt that our town is experiencing some difficult economic times. However, to reject this once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve our school would be a catastrophic mistake. For those who might think the future of Lanesborough may be bleak, it certainly will be if we cannot come together as a community and be willing to invest in our schools.
Despite the challenges, there are many people who believe strongly in the future of Lanesborough, and who want to raise their children here. An improved school building, the annual savings that will be realized as a result of greater efficiency, and the quality of education that can be provided to our children when they and their teachers can thrive in a healthy learning environment, are our best hope to attract new residents and new businesses. Let's start that positive trajectory for our future with a step in the right direction now.
The future in which we should all believe, and be willing to invest, is that of our children. We have invested in our family's future in Lanesborough, and I urge my fellow citizens to vote yes on Tuesday to demonstrate that they too believe in the future of our town's children, and to affirm that we made the correct choice to raise our family here.
Colin Ovitsky
Lanesborough, Mass.
Tags: letters to the editor, MGRHS school project,
