To the editor:

The strong record of academic achievement by our students is the greatest asset of our town. 

We have great teachers and we pay them well. Or do we? 

The pension fund for Barrington educators is underfunded by over $50,000,000. The town is on the hook for $35 million and the state the balance. And these public numbers are actually understated as they are based on an expected investment return of 7.5 percent. The fund has been performing closer to 2 percent. 

Many of our teachers are approaching retirement. The hard reality of this moral and financial obligation is fast upon us. We taxpayers will need to come up with the money. We have been kicking the can down the road only to have finally run out of road and have a pile of cans. 

Our Blue Ribbon middle school is suffering from years of structural neglect. It needs to be repaired. I believe the $68,000,000 bond to build a completely new middle school pits teachers against bricks. 

There is just not enough money to have it all. We repaired our high achieving high school years ago. It has continued to be a productive asset. Why not do the same for the middle school? This option has never been fully considered. $30,000,000 buys a lot of repairs and upgrades. This would be a much more prudent way to go.

In July the town council authorized the state to put the middle school bond on the ballot as requested by the school committee. The discussion prior to the vote was illuminating. All 5 members of the council expressed that they thought $68 million was more than we could afford. Two members voted against approval and the remaining three stated that they were not endorsing the expenditure but were only passing it on to the voters to decide. 

Is this any way to run a railroad?

Chad Mollica

Barrington