David Lancaster, Hopkinton, NH

How will YOU vote regarding the Hopkinton School District budget? The school board is proposing an increase in the operating budget of nearly $700,000. The school board is also proposing raising nearly $300,000 from taxpayers to fund renovations primarily at Harold Martin School. The governor has a plan to only increase in the state adequacy grant to schools statewide by five percent next year. When the budget committee voted on the proposed school budget we did not know of the governor's pending proposal. In Hopkinton if his plan is adopted by the legislature we would see an $81,500 increase in funding from the state next year. When the school board prepared their budget, they were assuming the current funding formula would remain in place with a projected increase in the state adequacy grant of $606,510 . This is no longer a sure bet. If the perfect storm of increased spending by the school board, and decreased funding proposed by the governor were to occur it would mean approximately a $1.25/thousand increase in the school tax rate this November. This, after my taxes went up nearly 25% last year in town. I feel that voting for the level of funding proposed by the school board, with the possibility of the govenor's plan passing the legislature is playing roulette with my finances. I am not a gambler, so I feel I have no option but to vote NO!