Jennifer Barsamian: Vote yes for the children of Avery School

 If you are a parent in the Greenlodge, Riverdale or Oakdale districts and are asking yourself why should you vote “yes” for a new Avery school ask yourself:

1. Are my children taking music and art classes in the electrical room of the school building?
2. Do my children get off the bus on a busy street?
3. Do my children go to a bathroom in one that resembles one you'd find in a prison?
4. Do my children have to wear their coats in the winter because the heat doesn't always work?
5. Do my children have enough space to walk around their classroom and only black top to play on outside?

If you answered “no” to any these questions, then what you need to do is clear. A Proposition 2 ½ override debt-exclusion property tax override is coming up for a vote at the Nov. 16 special Town Meeting. Approving this measure will pave the way for a new Avery School. Once approved, the decision moves to the residents in a special townwide election next year. According to the town, the Proposition 2 ½ override debt-exclusion property tax override will boost homeowners’ property taxes by $66 dollars a year for 21 years. This is not asking a lot.  

If you’re thinking, yeah, sure, new schools always go over budget. While my opinion here is somewhat biased, as I’m an Avery parent, doing something that’s right for the community, and this qualifies as that, is what matters.  

What could people have against a new school building? There are a lot of things I could walk around being angry about, crime, unemployment, poverty, but building a new school wouldn’t be one of them.

I understand that seniors might be angry because they still don’t have a Senior Center and that residents with no kids might not care about a new school at all. Fair enough.  

Families who send their kids to private school and pay large tuition bills can use their $66 a year toward gas, sure. But my response to all these groups, and any others I missed, is always the same. You live in Dedham. You are part of this community. Ask yourself, “What’s good for the community?”

You know what, it feels kind of good. Think about something greater than you. Try it. Make it a teachable moment for your kids. Tell them about how you’re voting for a new school for other kids in Dedham. What will inevitably start with a whine of, “No fair!” should quickly turn to agreement and understanding after a careful explanation of the conditions of the school. 

Let’s face it, towns are judged by a few main criteria, of which the schools are at the top of the list. People judge the schools based on scores. Scores stay low, and house values remain low and our biggest investment, our homes, the very thing we are all so worried about protecting, take the biggest hit. 

A new Avery will mean that maybe the residents in East Dedham will choose to stay in East Dedham. Avery will stop being a sort of revolving door of families. Consistency is one of the keys to successful education.

Your “yes” vote is a vote to make Dedham great. That’s it.

Dedham resident Jennifer Barsamian’s blog Dedham Rocks can be found at www.dedhamrocks.blogspot.com.