I’ve been a lifelong educator. I’m old. Thus, I am a biased senior citizen who happens to be supportive of the well thought out renovation program for the three elementary schools in East Lyme. I do this for three reasons:

One: The elementary school facilities are old. When I was superintendent of schools in East Lyme in the 1970s and 1980s, additions were added to Flanders and Niantic Center to handle increasing enrollment. The new additions were placed on facilities that were already old. Those original parts are now ancient. They need major help as do the “new” additions of that time. Haynes was originally a middle school. It is also getting on in years and needs considerable help.

Two: It is a shame but school safety is now, of necessity, a major concern. It wasn’t when these schools were built. The architect’s current design for each school makes the safety of children a high priority.

Three: Each school must be brought to the educational standards of today. Facilities do have an impact on a child’s education. They show how important the schools are to the community. Lighting, air quality, the ability to access technology, white boards, room sizes, etc., make a huge difference.

Upon leaving East Lyme in 1985, I was fortunate to serve in high quality school systems in Grosse Pointe, Michigan and in Greenwich, here in Connecticut. Both districts spent much more per pupil then East Lyme. Yet in all critical areas except the condition of the elementary facilities, East Lyme offers an equivalent education to those other districts.

I’m proud that our three children and now, our grandchildren, have had the advantage of an East Lyme public school education. I also recognize that our schools can be and should be better. Bringing the three elementary schools to today’s educational and safety standards is necessary and is being done at the lowest possible cost. For my penny-pinching senior citizen reasons, that sounds like the way to go.

Please vote “yes” in the March 14 referendum.

Dr. John A. Whritner lives in the Niantic section of East Lyme.