OPINION: Please join me in voting YES on March 6

Dear Editor,

I am a long time parent and community member in the and I strongly support the Ossining School Bond.  As the President of the Ossining Cultural Arts Advocates (OCAA), I continue to witness the success of our students due to the incredible cultural arts programs we offer and the dedicated administrators, faculty and staff who implement these programs.  There are monies in the Ossining Bond earmarked for improvements in the space that supports the New York State required cultural arts courses.  Some of these spaces, such as the Ossining High School auditorium, have not been upgraded in 80+ years.  This facility is utilized for not only cultural arts classes during the school day but also for numerous school and community events, including elementary and high school concerts and plays, community performances and faculty and parent presentations, to name a few.

There are some members of the community that refer to cultural arts as “fluff” and I am totally baffled by this comment.  Ossining has been designated as one of the “Best Communities for Music Education” by the NAMM Foundation. By focusing on the whole child, Ossining students have demonstrated that they are better prepared for the 21^st century than students in states who do not support these curriculums. Research has shown that children who participate in cultural arts from early on will keep engaged longer in school, improve their academic performance and achieve social and emotional success.  Numerous studies have also stated that students who participate in school music and art programs perform better on standardized tests. In addition, the College Board has actually indicated that students who study music outperform their peers on the SAT exams.  

The Ossining Capital project is largely focusing on critical repairs that can no longer be delayed. This Bond is expected not to increase taxes while saving dollars by replacing “end of life” boilers that are extremely inefficient.  Please join me on Tuesday, March 6 to vote YES at the Ossining High School gymnasium from 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Thank You!

Gloria McQuaid

Ossining, New York