TVHS student serves on Guilderland budget committee
03.05.10
Most students his age would be content hanging out with friends, listening to music or playing on the Internet at night.
But not Tech Valley High School junior Jesse Feinman. The 17-year-old student has a much more noble goal for his evenings - help the Guilderland Central School District prepare a budget that meets the needs of its students and community.
He recently joined the 2010-11 Guilderland Central School District Citizens' Budget Advisory Committee, which will meet five times over the coming weeks and make recommendations to the school's Board of Education regarding the educational and economic impact of the proposed spending plan.
Feinman said he joined the committee because he "felt compelled to do everything that I can to stand up for students and try to ensure that they have the best education given the deficit that the district faces."
"When some community members suggested pulling out of Tech Valley High School as a way to save money, I became concerned and wanted to defend TVHS in the budget plans. But after the meetings started, I realized that TVHS is but a small concern for my district facing one of the most challenging budgets in recent years due to the lack of state aid that they will be receiving," he said.
He said he has attended every school board meeting for the past few years and is quite aware of the "Major issues" that are facing the district.
He envisions his work on the committee as a stepping stone to a future in elected officials.
"In the past, my primary interests are computers and computer sciences. This year, however, I became interested in serving in a public office and I see this as good experience," Feinman said.
