This is an open letter to the residents of Milltown. As your neighbor and friend, I would like to tell everyone why we should pass the school budget.

I moved to Milltown three years ago. We bought our dream home and live in a great neighborhood. We are living the American dream. We love the small-town atmosphere as well as the safety and tradition of our community. My wife and I will soon be having our third child, and our children will all go to public schools in Milltown.

I have had the opportunity to sit in on a few budget meetings and also to talk to our superintendent of schools, Dr. Linda Madison. I can assure you all that the children come first.

If you have not noticed, many houses are for sale in town. It seems like there is a realty sign on every corner. This means that many families will be moving into Milltown, and their children will hopefully be going to Milltown schools.

The negative consequences of not passing the budget are as follows. People will stop moving to Milltown if the budget gets shot down (Milltown becomes a town that doesn't care about its children); the property values will go down (statistics show that they have risen each year for the last five years); the people who move to Milltown will send their children to private or charter schools that will cost us (taxpayers) more money for the transportation costs and any other services that the child or his/her IEP (individual educational plan) call for.

I work two full-time jobs and a part-time job to make sure that my children have the best that can be offered. I am sure that all of you want the same for your children. At the March 28 budget meeting, we were told of cuts to programs (due to state and federal mandates such as 1701) that affect children, and we should never have this happen. The children deserve everything that we had and more. They are going to be taking care of us some day.

Just try to remember to come out and vote on April 18. While doing so, try to think back to your childhood and remember all the great things that our schools did for us.

Thomas W. Esser

Milltown

Vote yes on budget; keep E.B. school district strong

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members of the East Brunswick Board of Education. They continue to work long hours, away from their families, to keep our school expenses to a minimum without losing the No. 1 goal of maintaining the standard of excellence.

A few years ago East Brunswick's dedicated teachers unselfishly agreed to take a decrease in benefits, which has saved this community approximately $4 million. Accepting a decrease in health benefits is not a common action throughout the state by teachers and should be recognized as their sincere commitment to this community.

The value of a home varies within our community, and the number of children within these homes attending East Brunswick public schools will vary too. But if the average-home tax bill for education for the year is $6,000 and that home is sending two children to school, the annual cost is $3,000 per child.

Where else within this state could you find the standard of excellence from a public school system as you can right here in East Brunswick? (In my opinion, East Brunswick ranks close to a private-school education).

We all need to help the Board of Education, the teachers and especially our children by getting out to vote on April 18 from 2-9 p.m., and vote yes for the school budget.

Go a step further and call your neighbors who just moved in and explain to them that voting yes is important to their children's future and that our schools are the No. 1 reason why our community continues to be a desirable place to raise a family.

It takes a long time to build up a successful school district, and, unfortunately, only a short period of time to bring it all down.

Vote yes.

If you need an absentee ballot, go to www.state.nj.us/

lps/elections/absentee_doe.html or contact the Middlesex County Clerk's Office at (732) 745-3827.

Now there's no excuse not to vote.

Lorraine Spiotta

co-president

Hammarskjold Middle School PTA

East Brunswick

Becker works to ensure quality education

Vicki Becker has been a member of the East Brunswick Board of Education for the past six years. She is married, with two children in the school district, and has resided in East Brunswick since 1986. I firmly believe Vicki can continue to make a positive contribution to the work of the board and the education of our community's children. The time she has spent in public service on behalf of our students is invaluable, and this is why I support her re-election to the board.

Her leadership roles have included chairperson of the board's Community Programs Committee, Curriculum Committee, Technology and Building and Grounds Committee. She is the board liaison to the Senior Center and the township Parks and Recreation Board. I served on the PTA at Lawrence Brook School with Vicki and proudly watched as she led that group during her two years as PTA president.

Vicki works hard to ensure a quality education for our children and takes very seriously her responsibility to the residents as their representative on the board. I can't think of anyone better to do this, and that is why I urge you to vote for Vicki Becker on April 18.

Karen L. Theer

East Brunswick

Resident backs Braverman, Torres, Hackett in Monroe

Few of our citizens actually take the time to participate in public affairs. To participate, for no remuneration, shows certain character traits that we all should emulate. For all of your efforts on behalf of the children of Monroe, thank you.

Voters in the school board election will choose three of nine candidates. Even though all nine candidates have exhibited a strong commitment to Monroe schools, I believe that three candidates stand out and need to be elected on April 18.

Marvin Braverman is a 34-year veteran of school boards both in Monroe and North Jersey. Mr. Braverman initiated a motion to eliminate the plan for the high school in Thompson Park. The motion was defeated, but nonetheless, he did the correct thing. For this and for his commitment to protect the fiscal interests of the taxpayers, Mr. Braverman needs to be re-elected.

Linda Torres, a U.S. Navy veteran, is the chief technologist for East Brunswick Schools. Ms. Torres brings a knowledge of business, government and education to Monroe. In East Brunswick she plans and manages operational issues in technology that support student achievement that is among the best in New Jersey. Ms. Torres will bring an open mind to school issues and needs to be elected.

Brian Hackett is the only board candidate to have actually spent any time in the Monroe schools - 13 years to be exact. Quite often "fresh eyes" are needed to resolve issues in any organization. Mr. Hackett has not had the time to become part of any organization in which the continuation of the status quo is paramount. Due to Mr. Hackett's "fresh eyes" approach, I'm sure that with him as a member of the Monroe school board, we will see changes. Brian Hackett needs to be elected.

Patricia A. Appleby

Monroe

Don't waste tax dollars on unnecessary teacher salaries

I don't mind voting yes to the school budget every year. I am an educator and a parent of two school-age children. So for me, it's a no-brainer. This year, however, I will be very reluctant to press the yes button, and I would like to tell you why.

East Brunswick High School (EBHS) has decided to add a ninth period for the 2006-07 school year. This means all the students have to pick another elective. Please believe me when I tell you that the kids don't need another elective - they have and will graduate with more than they will know what to do with. EBHS would like to shorten the lunch period to 25 minutes. In doing so, they will make up the time by adding an elective.

If they are really trying to save your money, why spend it on paying a teacher to cover an extra period in the day that the students don't need? Send the seniors home early anyway. Let them have an early option without a ninth period. You're smart; you can figure it out. Save the money.

I feel that we pay so much in state and property taxes as well as school taxes. We just voted a few years ago to spend millions of dollars for construction of our schools.

Churchill School and EBHS are beautiful. Hammarskjold School will be gorgeous. The elementary schools will be fantastic. The education here in East Brunswick is awesome (if you are a talented academic student). Don't squander our hard-earned tax dollars on unnecessary salaries.

I believe in the upkeep of the schools. I believe in the expansion - the enrollment is bursting. I will vote yes anyway, but to me this is a huge waste of taxpayers' money.

Arlene Rosenthal

East Brunswick

Vote to keep school taxes from increasing in E. Brunswick

On Tuesday, April 18, it will be time again to vote for the school budget. If you don't want your school tax to rise again, please get out and vote. It seems that school elections are held in April to discourage people from voting. All elections should be held at one time - in November.

We are being taxed out of our homes, and, unfortunately, there are so many houses for sale in East Brunswick that it is not easy to sell. So to the person who said that if we did not like what is happening with the school tax, we should move, it is not that easy. No one is going to want to move into a town where a good portion of his or her money goes to the school tax. Every time the school tax is raised, it is not helping the children - it is helping the greedy teachers.

The teachers are no better in East Brunswick than in a town where the school tax is less. You do not get what you pay for. We are not to belittle the teachers who work as hard in other towns where the school tax is much less.

When they talk about the assessed value of the average house in East Brunswick, the many homes they are including are condos and co-ops. These are not houses. The average house is assessed at a lot more than the town wants us to know. Many of the condos and co-ops have more children going to our schools than the average house.

Maybe some day a dwelling will be taxed on how many children are in the school system, but until that time, if we do not want our school taxes to keep rising, everyone, not just the parents who have children in our school system, must get out and vote.

Debbie Goldberg

East Brunswick