Because Small Schools Matter . . .
Who we are ~
Bethel United to Save our Schools is a group of concerned citizens from Town of Bethel, Town of Mamakating, and throughout the Monticello School District areas whose mission is to keep open the Duggan School in White Lake and the Chase School in Wurtsboro. The Duggan and Chase Schools have been a crucial part of this community for over half a century, where generations of families have attended school in an intimate and supportive environment - the same small school environment that research shows promotes the greatest academic and community success. We believe the social and business fabrics of Bethel and Wurtsboro will remain vital, healthy, and growing only if all the public schools remains open.
Our Mission ~
WE are united to lead the community with one voice in telling the Monticello School Board and the District’s Superintendent that closing the Duggan School in White Lake and the Chase School in Wurtsboro are not options. We offer our group and its resources to be part of a solution to what all can agree are complex problems of budgetary issues. We are here to work with the Monticello School board and the administration to help find solutions that are satisfactory to every one.
There are no specific requirements to be a member of our organization. We do ask that you support our School Community and this organization with whatever level of participation you can give to our activities
Jo-Ann Peabody - Spokesperson & Outreach Coordinator, Steering Committee Member
joann@savedugganschool.org 845-798-5885
Allan Scott - Consultant ALSCO Management, Steering Committee
Carol Malek, Vice-President, Bethel Business Association, Consultant to BUSS
Dave Sager - Sullivan County District One Legislator, Steering Committee Member
Denise Frangipane - Town of Bethel Councilwoman, Consultant to BUSS
Ed Buscemi - Director of Budget Research
A letter to our Community
Dear Citizens,
Did you know that there is a strong possibility that the Cornelius Duggan Elementary School in White Lake or the Emma Chase School in Wurtsboro will close by the end of the school year? Bethel United to Save our Schools (BUSS) is a group of concerned citizens, business owners, and government officials from the Town of Bethel, Wurtsboro, and throughout the Monticello Central School District whose mission is to keep open the Duggan School in White Lake while keeping any tax increase to a minimum. This is a community issue not just a school issue!
Did you know that rural communities with schools had higher rates of growth, higher housing values, a lower percentage of households receiving public assistance, more professional workers and entrepreneurs, and higher per capita self-employment income than rural communities that had lost their schools? If our school closes, we are looking at higher taxes, lower property value, less people with jobs, and less educated people to make up our work force. We believe that our community’s social and business fabrics will remain vital, healthy, and growing only if its public elementary schools remain open - the same small school environment that research shows promotes the greatest academic and community success.
Did you know that 38% of the people that took our online poll said they would leave our community if their school closes? Research supports this predicted decline in the population. How will our local businesses survive if we have an exodus of our population? What will entice new business - and more tax dollars - to our area if our people leave, our property values decline, and our existing businesses close?
Did you know that there is something you can do to keep the schools open and your taxes down? You can join your voice with Bethel United to Save our Schools. You can join our letter-writing campaign to the media, legislature, and school board. You can help us make a strong showing at Board of Education meetings, where, traditionally, few people show up and it has become easy for the board to make hard decisions in an empty room. You can support our financial efforts to pay for professional and legal consulting services, and to cover basic operating expenses, (I.e. office supplies, maintaining a website, signs, and publicity).
Did you know that time is of the essence? We have two months to develop alternate solutions to our school closing or our taxes going up. Please contact us at info@savedugganschool.org and tell us you are ready to help or call us at 845-798-5885. Please do not delay.
Together we can save our community . . . because small schools matter!
Spokesperson & Outreach Coordinator for BUSS
