10-27-2000 High spending doesn't equal high scores in Bedford Central School District

To the Editor:

The only thing I find at all amusing about Bedford Central's annual and emotional "Vote Yes, Vote Kids" school budget propaganda blitz supporting yet more high-single and double-digit district spending increases is the subsequent annual and equally emotional propaganda blitz explaining why the measurement of our children's annually decreasing performance on standardized tests is flawed.

It's clear to those who would see that outrageous spending increases don't yield the desired results. Perhaps there's an inverse relationship between what we spend and what we get. We should take note and remember for next April that our fourth graders sank another seven percentage points in math this year and our eighth graders another four percentage points (Oct. 15 New York Times Westchester section, page 24). Next April, we should vote to decrease district spending; maybe that will work.

Walter Davis
Mount Kisco