050900Alcorn Eats Crow

Letters to the Editor 

Bedford Central Schools Board President Reverend Paul Alcorn has said that he thought the primary job of the board  members was to balance the community’s needs to educate it’s children and spend it’s money wisely. On those two points his tenure has been a dismal failure.  

Taxpayers need only review their tax bills to see the pattern of yearly massive hikes with this year’s increase being the most outrageous of all. They might also want to visit the New York State’s Department of Education’s school report card on the Web and see for themselves the district’s pathetic cohort performance in math and science as well as their extremely high drop-out rate.  

Two recent situations expose Rev. Alcorn’s liberal educational philosophy all too clearly. His strident defense of the district’s “Magic Card” appeal at the expense of more productive academic programs show which side he supports in society’s “Culture Wars.” 

Last year President Alcorn publicly ridiculed a local taxpayer who dared to question the district’s illegal use of funds for a European jaunt for a group of teachers. With the Commissioner of Education siding with the petitioner Alcorn has had to eat a banquet of crow. Hopefully taxpayers won’t have to and shouldn't if his budget properly fails.  

A vote for Joe Whelan won’t change the present board’s function as the Superintendent’s lackey, but like a good smoke detector he can alert taxpayers before the next multimillion dollar school bond fire ignites.