Lynn Business Ed dinner focuses on Question 1

LYNN – The Lynn Business Education Foundation held its annual dinner earlier this month, and much of the evening’s conversation revolved around the possibility that the state’s schools could lose a significant amount of funding if residents vote to repeal the state income tax this November.Former Executive Vice President of Blue Cross Blue Shield and 2008 Distinguished Bostonian Peter Meade was the guest of honor. His speech focused heavily on the tough financial times facing the state’s schools.Meade provided figures that show a damaging loss in many local cities and towns if Question 1 passes, estimating that Lynn would lose $20 million in state aid for schools. Other area districts would not fare any better, Meade said, estimating a $10 million deficit in Peabody, $8 million in Revere and $10 million in Swampscott.”We took a vote earlier this year to oppose Question 1, and we felt it was important to wrap our annual meeting around this issue,” said LBEF President Gayle Thomas. “Meade touched on how it would affect our state. It would make it much harder to attract new business to our state, people will be affected by a hike in sales tax, property tax, city tax and county tax.”Other area organizations including the Lynn Teachers Union and North Shore Community College have also been outspoken about the risks of voting yes on Question 1.With the economy in peril, the LEBF has been struggling to bring in new money, which it uses to help the School Department and fund professional development for teachers. The LBEF also works to partner businesses with schools to help fund projects, field trips and other areas not covered by the bare-bones School Department budget.LBEF Executive Director Frederick Cole said it is his hope that the School Department will eventually assume control of the professional development that the organization has started, but with little money to go around, it may be tough to find businesses that will help fund the efforts.”We are here to get it started, that is the idea, we get it started and the School Department takes over,” said Cole. “But sponsorship of business has been kind of a challenge for us just because of the way it has gone lately with the economy.”Aside from Meade, both Thomas and Superintendent Nicholas Kostan addressed the large crowd of teachers, principals and union representatives gathered at the Porthole Pub.Kostan outlined the district’s recent MCAS scores, and again addressed a tough budget situation that could get worse.Kostan, who is retiring in January, expects his successor will face a difficult deficit even if Question 1 does not pass. If it does, things could be much worse.While much of Thomas’ address warned of the “devastation” that Question 1 would bring to the School Department, she also focused on some of the positive things happening in the schools, thanks to the LBEF.Along with professional development for teachers, LBEF is helping to fund programs at Sacred Heart, Classical and English High School, including the model UN and junior ROTC.The Lynn Business Education Foundation is a non-profit organization made up of board members representing the business community. The board works to partner business with public schools to help further the education of the city’s students.