To the Editor:

To the members of the Berne-Knox-Westerlo community: On May 21, I encourage you to come out to support the BKW budget and re-elect me to the BKW Board of Education. For over three years, I have been working hard to improve the reputation of BKW in the region, to improve the opportunities that our children have and to make sure that financially we are doing things the most cost-effective way possible for the taxpayers.

Votes should be earned, so let me give you some factual reasons why I feel I’ve earned your vote:

— 1. The past four budgets that I was a part of and supported had an average year-to-year tax increase of .375 percent. Each one has passed with overwhelming community support each year. In fact, taxes have gone down for most compared to 2015;

— 2. The average budget growth year-to-year has been 1.74 percent over the last five years. In the five years prior, that growth was almost 3 percent year-to-year;

— 3. We have added many new programs and opportunities for students (see a few of those programs here): 1) two pre-kindergarten sections, 2) School Resource Officer, 3) agricultural science program, 4) Future Farmers of America club, 5) after-school Bulldog Club, 6) new Advanced Placement courses, 7) College in the High School, and 8) inclusive education for our special-education students;

— 4. Passed a veterans’ exemption;

— 5. Put forward a capital project, in two propositions, to give the community the control to decide how much it wanted to invest in its largest community asset and new learning spaces for children, which passed almost 3 to 1;

— 6. Supported the superintendent’s contract, and voted to hire two principals (one from within the organization), and a business manager, all of whom have been in their respective roles for over two years. Prior to this, we had turned over 30-plus administrative positions in the prior 15 years. I support stability.

Basically, as a board of education, we have been hard at work making BKW a better place and providing more for the students. Fiscally, we are strong and have minimized the impact to the taxpayers.

What I don’t understand, and what I want to work toward changing is, why a small minority of people in our district think that it is OK to spread rumors and lies to discredit me to promote their candidate. Is this the example we want to set for our children? I know I don’t.

Why should we as a community allow this type of behavior? We certainly shouldn’t reward it.

It’s time we change the culture in the community and send a message that we should be more honest and respectful to one another, that elections shouldn’t bring out the worst in us, but highlight the positive qualities that should be evaluated when considering someone to lead our school or community.

For so long, so many have wanted the culture in the school changed. That is finally happening! Isn’t it time we change the culture of the community?

Just to clear the air once again: I do not support the outsourcing of the BKW Transportation Department. My wife was employed at the district for 12 years before I got on the school board; she was not hired because of me. I do not (or does the company I work for) manage or profit from the health insurance for the BKW school district.

My son-in-law does work as a teacher and a coach in the school, he is a New York State-certified teacher and I did not vote on his appointment, nor did anyone know who he was during his interview process. My daughter is not employed in the district.

Thank you for your support on the 21st and for trusting me to always put students first while making sure the community’s needs and wishes are in the forefront of the decision-making process.

Matt Tedeschi

Westerlo

Editor’s note: Matt Tedeschi is currently the president of the Berne-Knox-Westerlo School Board.