There are some things I can’t abide. One is crushing the spirit of creative young people by downplaying the importance of the arts.
I can’t tell you how thrilled I’ve been over the years by the productions of musicals and serious plays by Weston High School’s Company drama group. Having seen My Fair Lady four times in my youth, twice with Julie Andrews as Eliza, I still thrill to the memory of the spectacular job Company did with this wonderful classic a few years ago.
Now the program is faced with budget cutbacks due to no fault of its own. But I was gratified to see students come forward at the recent meeting of the Board of Education to plead against reduction of the hours budgeted for their theater adviser.
What lesson will the students learn from seeing the board reduce the superintendent’s proposed budget at this meeting, including a 20% reduction in the hours that can be supported for the theater adviser? A reasonable inference would appear to be that the arts are not considered to be as important as digital learning or special education administration.
What might the students’ next chance be? That would be at this year’s Board of Finance public hearing on the budget, to be held in the Weston Middle School Library on March 27. Can the finance board restore the originally proposed funding for the theater adviser? Come to the microphone and ask. And have as many people come to the microphone as possible.
The next step would be to attend Annual Town Budget Meeting on April 18, at the high school auditorium. This is a more formal event. Those in the audience are only allowed to speak if they are registered voters or property owners in Weston. Perhaps some high school seniors will have become registered voters prior to A.T.B.M. If so, they may come to the mic and explain their request.
One more suggestion to the students. Urge your parents to attend the A.T.B.M. and thereby help to satisfy the quorum requirement of a minimum of 130 qualified voters or property owners. Without a quorum, the meeting would be adjourned as soon as it starts, as has happened in some recent years.
What can one ask about this issue, when at the microphone? The first question would be if it is possible for that money to be restored.
If the answer is “no” then consider respectfully asking the superintendent of schools or the chair of the Board of Education, who will most likely be sitting on the auditorium stage, to pledge that they will request a special appropriation of the precise amount required to keep the theatre advisor’s hours unchanged.
This is Weston’s version of “power to the people.” Or as the League of Women Voters likes to say, “Democracy Is Not a Spectator Sport.”
And in that regard, the league’s annual “Speak Up” event occurs this Saturday, Feb. 3, from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Weston Public Library. If you can attend, consider asking the officials onstage, and specifically the chairs of the finance board and selectmen, what they can do to help Company.
NOTE: “About Town” is also a television program. It appears on Fridays at 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 p.m. on Cablevision Channel 88 (Public Access). Or see it at www.aboutweston.com.