I would like to thank the Board of Selectmen for voting to set a referendum date so that we can finally bring years of collaborative study to the voters. The Board of Education facilities renewal plan was unanimously approved after years of bipartisan meetings, study, and input from town leaders, citizen stakeholders, and experts in the field. Since its approval in September, the Board of Education has patiently waited for a referendum date to be identified.

It is important that we move forward on this now so that we can appropriately inform and educate the voters. In The Source’s Jan. 23 article “Schools Plan Vote Now Targeted on September or November Rather Than May,” the rationale for these options was clearly explained.

It is my belief that this referendum should not be part of the November elections. This proposal is so impactful to Madison and reflects years of investigation, collaboration, and compromise. As described in the January article, it is important that the voters see the full impact of these two proposals and be able to vote on them this fall. As the history of Madison referenda shows, they deserve their own day!

Katie Stein

Madison

Democrat Katie Stein chairs the Board of Education.