While some residents of our community may think it is premature to say anything about voting for or against the next school budget, I do not. According to the school website the initial "Administrative Budget Recommendations" (without possible changes of course) for the 2006 school budget is $111,399,054.00. This represents an increase of over $6 million from last year's contingency budget.

An increase of over $6 million added to, in my opinion, an already "swollen'" school budget, will be too much for our community to bear. Although the Port Washington School District and BOE may truly believe that an over $6 million raise in the school budget will be acceptable to our community, I do not. Hopefully, they will sharpen their pencils and do some "trimming," or else we the taxpayer may do it for them with the flick of a "no" lever at the voting booth on May 16.

Sherrill Robinson