This letter refers to a recent North Country Now Story "Amid school financial cutbacks, Potsdam residents raising $200,000 to help maintain academic programs."

To the Editor:

Let me just say kudos and congratulations to every person involved in that excellent effort in consideration of their children's schools.

I've been saying for a long time that such a solution is a great one and will do wonders to see schools through these financially bad times of unfair assignment of payments and other things being forced on them without any money to pay for them. The government is not being kind to schools, and before failure, this is an ideal solution in my opinion.

Overall, I only support such a thing if the school has done everything it can to lower spending already and that austerity budgets are or are about to be enacted. The schools also have to be fiscally responsible, of course.

Now let's see more of this kind of thing. We aren't big on monetary gifts, my wife and I, but this is an ideal place to use such a thing. More schools need to have citizens ready to respond in a like manner. We have no children in school anymore, but we would still be very likely to donate to our own school district in a like manner.

Here's hoping all such monies are spent for their intended purposes and that such purposes are well stated. Great going.

Tom Rivet, Heuvelton