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March 16, 2010

Letter: No adequate substitute for Horace Mann School

To the editor:

The following letter was sent to members of the Salem City Council:

I attended the PTC meeting at Horace Mann Lab School last night and I am not happy. Yes, I know that times are tough and that raising taxes is not something one should do lightly. Neither is closing a school.

Horace Mann is a unique asset to the children of Salem and to the city as a whole. It provides an excellent education from some of the brightest, most caring teachers I've ever met.

Students and faculty alike benefit from the association with Salem State College, as does the city budget.

After visiting schools, revisiting some, talking to everyone we knew with school-aged children, and wracking our brains, my husband and I decided that Horace Mann was the best place to educate our children.

Frankly, when we realized Horace Mann might close, we could not think of another school that even came close to meeting our family's needs.

As I told a friend with a child entering kindergarten in the fall, Horace Mann has a lot going for it.

If you can show me a school that fits this mold, I'll send my daughters there.

Otherwise, please find a different way to close the budget gap.

I request that you approve the meals and hotel taxes with a sunset provision we can all plan for. To quote the Haunted Happenings site: "Today more than 800,000 visitors come to Salem annually, generating more than $55.6 million in tourism spending."

If they could each spare a dollar, we could save our schools.

Alexa Ogno

Salem

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