Writing in Favor of All Three Components on Princeton Public Schools Referendum
To the Editor:
We are strongly in favor of the three components of the schools referendum, which is up for a vote on January 28. As parents at Community Park (CP) for many years and now at Princeton Middle School (PMS), we have seen the best of Princeton education, and also the worst of PPS’ facilities challenges. CP is a phenomenal community where the innovative DLI program complements PPS’s strong pedagogy and student support programming. But it has been bursting at the seams for years, with some faculty/student meetings occurring in repurposed maintenance closets. With significant new housing development nearby, the time is right is to expand CP so that new kids can walk to their neighborhood school, fewer families in town will need to be redistricted, and the DLI program can remain for those who choose it. CP’s proximity to the municipal parking lot and a large playground also make it a good candidate for expansion, but the issues of traffic circulation, secure access to the school, and maximization of recreational facilities need to be carefully considered as part of the planning.
PMS is a special, nurturing environment where a fantastic mix of arts and enrichment opportunities build on the strong core educational foundation. There too though, facilities are a barrier — the schedule is super complicated to squeeze every inch out of the overtaxed building, which will be increasingly inadequate as the student body grows and technological change requires new teaching approaches. Our kids have been fortunate to benefit from HVAC upgrades at their schools that have brought better temperature control, air quality, and environmental sustainability. PHS, on the other hand, still has ancient boilers that are surviving on duct tape and a dream.
The referendum addresses these issues thoughtfully, with targeted investments to fix what is needed, make the most of what we have, and leverage state dollars and energy efficiency to minimize the tax burden. Indeed, if all three questions pass, facilities-based taxes will be hardly higher than they were in 2022.
Princeton prides itself in its quality education, but that is not a given, and nothing lasts if you don’t invest in it. So the real questions the referendum is asking are, what kind of community are we? Are we the kind of community that invests in our children’s future? Are we the kind of community that embraces change and adapts, rather than just resting on its history of past success? Are we the kind of community that, rather than continually asking our teachers to do more with less, instead gives them the modern and effective tools and environments they need to do what they do best?
We believe that Princeton is that kind of community. If you do too, please come out to vote in favor of the three referendum questions on January 28.