Bethel High School - Wildcat Yearbook (Bethel, CT)

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BETHEL ADMINISTRATION In the 1971 edition of WILDCAT, there appears an ad placed by the Class of 1974 (then freshmen) which was signed, The Class renown for Energy, Intelligence, Spirit, and Perseverance. It seems to me that in looking back, the only characteristic omitted was Vision, because members of the Class of 1974 not only forecasted the future in that prophetic inscription, they fulfilled it as well. Congratulations and best wishes to each of you for continued large doses of the same ingredients. Gerard E. Murphy Superintendent of Schools Gerard E. Murphy Superintendent of Schools Arnold Blum Business Manager Robert Gilchrest 7

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To the Members of the Class of 1974 It has been a short'' four years! Somehow I am left with the feeling that I am just getting to know you, and that more time is needed to do the many things we wanted to do for you and with you. However, I am confident that you will move on to take your places as contributing citizens of your community, state and country. You have grown up in a turbulent period of our country's history, Your experiences have included the unjust war , Watergate, the resignation of the vice-president, an energy crisis, mid-East conflict, meat shortages and other crises. Despite it all you must always bear in mind that your standards of living are better than those of any other people of the world. You have a government which is viable and vulnerable and yet the envy of the majority of the world. Despite our problems let me remind you that we have had other crisis in our short history and through the resolution of these crisis we have become a great nation. So think positively, and remember always to do your small part toward making this country of ours an even greater place to live. My best wishes go with each and everyone one of you! Be always faithful to Bethel High Schooll Emanuel A. Merullo Emmanuel A. Merullo BETHEL HIGH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION 6 Frank C. Forster

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 tate school aid declines some more =----------pinion — ark in 1969, the Connecticut legislature ed general state aid for local education i flat basis, $200 per pupil in average y membership in each city, town and ol district. ormerly, smaller communities received igger proportionate share of state aid i did larger cities and Jpwns. 1971, the legisla' it to $210 per p per pupil In gi $225 per pupi 215 per pupil in le Connecticut P nci) has issue' 1 and state spe indary education. is instructive to rating expenses eased, both in specific towns and across state, in the four yea re Sjnce the last or change we QAM £ general state to local educa.T-.., ethel is ud $208 per pupil, Brookfield, look per at the way pupil have $305, Redding, $245, Ridgefield $248, Sherman $275, Southbury $255, Warren, $162, Washington, Bridgewater and Roxbury, $410; Wilton $353, Woodbury, $325. Any attempt to compare these figures town by town or with the state average for ie period (an increase of $267 per zould be meaningless because of the nt conditions in each locality over riod of four fiscal years, they do indicate the increased burden : local property tax as each city, town f:hool district strives to comply with education laws requiring good schools, special services, collective bargaining with employes and the like. Let’s look now at what may be the most V'p.sj (VjLo 3 in the CpEC booklet, the — -------total spending on public elementary and secondary education in Connecticut, with special attention to Fiscal 1970 and Fiscal 1973. This shows total expenditures went up $185.9 million from $665 million in 1969-70 to Federal aid during this period rose million, from $19.4 million in ’969-70 to million in the last fiscal year. State aid in all its forms, general, sp« TVOBNT VUNC.IL. ding gr — —«... ,-•».■.............. .vw9'70 to $ million last year, an increase of million. That left the major burden on the property tax. Expenditures from general funds of cities and towns of state went from $419.2 million in 1969- $579.8 last year, a jump of $160.6 mill State aid went up less than 10 per c not even offsetting the decline in the v of the dollar during this period. Payments by home owners and property owners for education purp went up more than 38 per cent during same period. Justice to home owners requires the s to make a substantial increase in its si of the cost of pro —1----------- secondary educatior FRESX M€aJ this is to increase the aum grant to at It Nixon address may touch on Watery wilted bouquet for Vietnam erajyeterans resident Nixon's proposal to Congress an 8 per cent “cost of living” increase educational benefits to Vietnam era trans falls far short of doing justice to ie veterans, or of meeting the increased of living. he educational benefits under the World II GI bill” provided for full payment uition and fees directlv to the school or :ge attended bv the veteran, plus $75 thi:WOW£Cofal 6- ? those rs, $ s wem muie uidii twice as far as it s now. ietnam era veterans are entitled to the id total of $220 a month, from which must pay all living expenses plus ion, fees and books. Most of the latter must be paid in lur p, O s vj V -dde a fund of $200 millio me of tKn Af I 1 W sums at the start of each semester, and this is a factor in discouraging many eligible veterans from seeking educational benefits. Even if they could borrow the sums needed for the payments, they do not see how they can pay it back from the limited monthly grant they receive. President Nixon’s proposal to increase this montly stipend to $237.60 falls far short of the $270.60 proposal already adopted by the Senate Veterans Committee. It also falls short of a proposal by some Republicans in thp TtS. late to increase th UoC-KfcY 3 g per equalize tuition charges across the corn It is little wonder that Represents Silvio O. Conte, the senior Republican ii Massachusetts congressional delega has termed the President’s mes; dissappointing” in its section on ed tional benefits. The President, according to a Vi House spokesman, sent his vetei message to Congress, in advance of state of the union message tonight, bec he wanted to mark the first anniversar the signing of the Paris peace accord; Vietnam. . This “first annivers; f Vjquet w; rather wilted one Widening the credibility gap once more or three months, the National News ncil has been striving to get from sident Nixon or from his press ■etary, Ron Ziegler, specific charges so council can examine the complaint Mr. oj nad outrageous icigjj j expense of obtaining transcripts of network evening newscasts and commentaries. They covered six subjects which Ziegler said were the areas involved in the President's complaints from December, 1972. to Octoher 1973 telephone calls and telegrams, the W House has not provided a single spec detail to back up the President’s char; let alone to permit the council to undert the investigation it is willing to pursue ——-——i