Meet the Candidate: Patricia S. Luetjen

Name: Patricia S. Luetjen

Age: 39

Party and position running for: Democrat - Board of Education

Family Info: Married with 2 girls ages 5 and 7

Previous Political Experience: Alternate member of the wetlands board for approximately 4 years

Other Experience: As a mother of a kindgergartener and a first grader I am at Birch Grove at least once a week, I will bring valuable insight to the board from a parent's perspective. 

Why are you running for office? 

I am running for office because I have enjoyed serving the community on the wetlands board, and it is a natural progression for me to now seek a volunteer position on the Board of Education. I believe that a strong community is built by people of all backgrounds working together to make the community great. Even though it can be a lot a of work at times, my greatest hope is that I really can make a positive difference by serving.  

How do you plan on creating a budget that provides a good education for Tolland students, but is one that you can defend before the Town Council and gain approval from Tolland voters? 

I have been hearing a lot about the cost of educating our children but what about the cost of not educating our children?I think we need to spend more time discussing what the cost saving measures we are making now will cost our children as they grow into adults. How much is it going to cost our children to attend schools that spend the second lowest amount per pupil in the state? How about the kids that can't afford "pay to play"? How will their health and their future be affected in the long term? Tolland voters have clearly expressed that they cannot afford tax increases and with my own household income somewhere below the average for the town of Tolland, I can relate but children don't get to vote. Yes, we can save some tax dollars now by keeping the budget to the bare minimum but what are we sacrificing? What are we asking our children to sacrifice? The kids at Birch Grove, and TIS and the middle and high schools are our future doctors, nurses, hair dressers and mechanics. Don't they deserve the same opportunites that we were afforded by our communities? Yes, I have creative ideas by which we can off set some budget increases such as utilizing corporate sponsorships or giving incentives for employers who are willing to provide paid time off so that working parents can volunteer in their childs classrooms and formalizing community volunteer programs by which retirees, seasonal employees and persons that are not working or laid off can contribute to the school community. Still at the end of the day  however "defending a school budget that provides a good education for Tolland students" is the job of every citizen in town.