Writer disagrees with outsourcing school jobs

On May 23, the members of the Marlboro Board of Education elected to abolish the position of custodian in the Marlboro school district and elected to subcontract the custodial services in our schools. In doing so, the nine board members voted unanimously to fire the eyes and ears that protect our children.

As a member of Project 3000 for the Marlboro Early Learning Center whose goal is to get 3,000 people to vote in the school budget vote, I am disappointed and quite frankly, insulted, that they did so. The board held three public meetings where they heard passionate pleas from parents, teachers and staff not to pass the outsourcing of this service. I was led to believe that if we passed the budget, that jobs would be safe. The decision they made was clearly not one that was supported by the majority.

When (Superintendent of Schools) Dr. David Abbott was asked during the May 23 meeting why we were asked on something that today sounds so petty as courtesy busing when we could have put the question of whether or not to outsource the custodial services, he responded that it was against the bylaws to put up for vote a service that is required.

For my own edification, I don't believe anyone thinks that we could do without this service, but couldn't the people have voted whether or not to outsource?

The final comment made by the board that their decision to outsource was an agonizing one rings hollow in my ears. We learned today that loyalty and hard work mean little to the board and that they would trade our children's safety for a dollar sign. We should all remember this next year when the members of the board come up for re-election. I, for one, will have a hard time voting for these people who chose to bring strangers into our schools.

Finally, from one mother to another, to Eva Costello, (News Transcript, Letters to the Editor, May 24, 2006), I don't know how you can look into the eyes of the teachers, children and staff when you have the nerve to compare the loyalty and service of hardworking people to a gallon of milk.

Yvonne Eng

Project 3000

Marlboro Early

Learning Center

Marlboro