It has been my observation that during these very trying times many people, businesses, organizations and educators are and have been looking for new and innovative ways to maintain their level of work ethic, and quality of their product. Here in Los Alamos, we work hard every day to be certain that every school age child gets fed nutritionally, academically, and socially. Our free after school program tends to approximately 135 of the 220 students enrolled at Olga Reed School. Those students and their families are considered a personal investment by each of the instructors employed at our ASES [After School Education and Safety] program.
That same “ownership,” accountability, and sincere interest for our community is, I believe, what makes Los Alamos, so endearing, still. In today’s society it seems as though the world is in constant flux of either trying to catch up or trying to keep up with all that we deem important to our growth, technological advances, economy, etc. But, here in Los Alamos, this part of the world stops to “smell the roses,” enjoy and appreciate our unique setting, and interact daily with other families, students, seniors, and neighbors. Our respect for one another, sharing this small slice of earthly paradise, is transcended to not only watching out for one another, but also being protective of each other, as well as our community.
It is in this vein that I would like to bring specific admiration and support to the vision of our Los Alamos School District Board of Directors. It has become a harsh reality that the budget cuts at the state level have impacted our public school system at a rate likened to bleeding to death from a severed artery. Yes, that bad. Yes, that graphic. So what? Everyone is getting hit hard—are we losing our ability to be sensitive to tragic loss? Maybe. But at Olga Reed School, we are being proactive, assertive, and visionary.
Instead of waiting helplessly for our state cuts to sever, yet another limb of our quality of education, our school board has chosen to “protect” our kids and remain morally responsible to each child in this community by initiating a school district merger with the Orcutt school district. On March 11, our state board of directors will see this particular item on their meeting agenda. At this point, it is their directive that will allow our school district to move forward in its vision … or not. The California state budget deficit has broken small school districts’ ability to recover from the massive wounds that have been inflicted economically. It is the hope of our district that Olga Reed School will remain alive and well by way of sharing administrative costs with the Orcutt School District, thus allowing Olga Reed School to continue its legacy of education, concern, and care of each school age child in the community.
As a member of this community, a parent, a homeowner, and an area advocate, I hope that this letter reaches into every single home here and forces each family in Los Alamos to stand up and applaud the very courageous efforts of our volunteer board members. They deserve our recognition for a job well done and our support for whatever may come.
This article appears in Mar 10-17, 2011.