Your Turn
Ken Porcaro
Guest Column
Passage of schools referendum means students will continue to benefit from Manalapan school system

I am a 12-year resident of Manalapan and the father of two teenagers who have benefited from attending the Manalapan-Englishtown K-8 school system. The quality of this system was one of the most important and attractive points for making our decision to settle in Manalapan.

Recent letters to the editor in this publication regarding the upcoming vote for the K-8 school expansion referendum have given me great cause for concern.

These letters have lowered the public debate over this critical referendum to finger pointing and political positioning. The commentary has centered around laying blame on one political party or the other, the Township Committee, the zoning board, the Planning Board or the school board for the necessary tax increase to support the much-needed expansion of existing K-8 school facilities while completely missing the central issue.

Expansion in our town over the past 15 years has been dramatic and the once appropriately sized school structures require expansion if we are to maintain the level of student safety, care and quality of education our school system is known for.

We all know how politically attractive it is lately to speak out against any tax increase ... but those of us making such a case in this instance are just deluding ourselves if we believe that we can continue to take pride in our school system while we fail to do what is necessary to ensure that it is properly maintained at the level needed to support our expanded community. We are gambling with the education of our future community leaders and citizens.

From a very practical point of view, our school district now has the opportunity to benefit from the current relatively low level of interest rates as well as the state’s grant of $14.3 million toward this project.

Our failure to act now in support of this referendum will only cause us more expense in the future — first, from the potential decline in the town’s reputation as an exemplary place to raise a family that has a strong focus on education, which will impact everyone’s real estate values; and second, by greatly increasing required outlays later to support Band-Aid-type fixes at higher financing and building costs.

Parents and citizens must face the fact that our K-8 school system needed this expansion program yesterday, and acting now will cost us a relatively small amount compared to the damages inflicted on our children’s futures and the reputation of our community if we pass up this opportunity to correct the situation now.

I hope that our community leaders, parents and informed citizens realize that a high-quality K-8 school system adequately outfitted to handle the current and future enrollment and provide a solid foundation for our children is one of the most precious assets this community has to offer.

We all need to stop hiding behind political rhetoric, get out there and vote in support of this needed expansion program on Sept. 30. You will be voting in favor of our children’s bright future.

Ken Porcaro is a resident of Manalapan.