Featured Letter: Shrinking student population a major concern

To the editor:

Excuse me, am I the only one who sees a crisis building up through our brain drain of young folks here on the East End? The school district presentation for the Mattituck-Cutchogue budget showed that in the 2016-17 school year, enrollment is projected to hit the lowest level in more than 30 years, with just 1,189 students from kindergarten through 12th grade. 

That’s the bad news.

The good news is the district will be able to achieve savings because of the projected decline in enrollment, according to the report.

That should make the senior citizens and baby boomers happy, but what does the future hold for this present generation, whose members can’t find decent affordable housing here in Southold Town or rental units in which to raise a family? Who’s going to be our volunteer fire and EMT personnel? What will become of the young farm “work force,” trained and educated on the proposed institutions of Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone? Do we train them then cut them loose to apply their knowledge elsewhere, as is now happening with our high school graduates? Someone please wake up and smell the coffee.

Leroy Heyliger, Mattituck