'Priding Ourselves on Local Control'

By Karen Soule As the principal of four elementary schools in the Newfound Area, N.H., school district, my primary responsibility is to provide students with the educational opportunities that will develop their capacities to read, write, think, and speak, thus enabling them to become responsible and contributing members of our complex society.

We can only achieve these goals in an atmosphere of mutual respect, tolerance, and communication. Equally important is fostering a love of learning that will carry on throughout a student's lifetime. It is awe-inspiring to think that my schools and other schools throughout America hold the future of our nation in their hands. That is why any avenue of assistance is explored to ensure that every student will receive the best public education possible.

New Hampshire is a state that prides itself on local control. This certainly has its advantages, but it can also have disadvantages. Here in the Newfound Area district, more than 90 percent of our school budget is provided by local property taxes. We receive only about 7 percent of our funding from the state and 2 percent from the federal government. We are not unique. Over the past few years, aid from the state and federal governments has been declining, a trend that is expected to continue. Each year at our annual school meeting, like it or not, money is a factor as we strive...