Computers, Technology Engineering, Music, Art and Physical Education are CRITICAL to the well-being and success of our children in the East Bridgewater School District.

In order to fill a 1.9 million dollar gap in the upcoming 2015/2016 school year budget the acting superintendent and principal of the Central Elementary School, Gina Williams, along with the administration of the Mitchell School and the East Bridgewater Junior/Senior High School have proposed to cut ALL specials (Art, Music, Gym, Computers and Technology Engineering) from all three East Bridgewater schools.

These drastic and devastating measures will only get us part of the way so in addition they have offered up the following two options to get us the rest of the way:
Cut ALL Extracurricular Sports
or
Cut 1 high school guidance counselor and 3 classroom teachers (3rd, 4th and 5th grade) - bringing those class sizes up to 28/29 students.

Keeping 'specials' in our children's education goes well beyond the need for kids to have 'fun' or a 'break' during the school day. These courses offer so much more:
-Art develops critical thinking and creativity
-Music supports math and language development
-Physical Education helps develop social and emotional well-being
-Computer classes provide our children with real-life skills that are needed to be successful in a technology driven world.
-Technology Engineering gives children the opportunity to explore interests in hands-on technology

PLEASE join me in signing this petition to let the town administrators know that we vehemently object to these proposed cuts. The parents, residents and town elected officials have to find a way to bridge this budget gap without making the children of this town suffer.