About time they started being good stewards
I received a disturbing email message from Susan H. Zurvalec, superintendent of Farmington Public Schools, regarding the school board’s plan to accept competitive bids for support services such as transportation, custodial, maintenance, and nutrition services.

According to Zurvalec, “the continued uncertainty regarding the future of school funding in our state requires us to carefully manage our limited resources” and “consider any option that keeps dollars in the classroom.”

Why is this a new concern? School districts have always had limited resources that required careful management. This statement sounds like an admission the administration and board have operated under the delusion that resources weren’t limited and they could always come back to the well for more.

Zurvalec points out that based on other districts’ experiences, FPS could realize savings of $4 million per year. By all means, implement the changes to start these savings. However, I want to know why is the board just now getting around to saving this money?

On many occasions over the past few years, I have received emails from the administration imploring me to contact my state representatives and demand more education funding because budgets have been cut to the bone. Now FPS admits that wasn’t quite the case. Before they come to the well again, they need to demonstrate they are better stewards of my money.

[Letter to the Editor - Farmington Observer. Published 02/24/2011.]