Editor, Gazette-Journal:

I wish to disagree with the letter by Rusty West. Among other things, his letter is self-serving, as he is a Gloucester teacher. Besides that, the board of supervisors doesn’t give raises, they increased the funding this year over last year and then approved a transfer of another $250,000 from the general fund. The problem is the insurance was raised $750,000. Mr. West is very blessed as many people don’t have any insurance and the ones that do pay way, way more than $17 a month [Editor’s note: The school board approved a $17 increase in the employees’ share of monthly premiums]; plus they don’t have a retirement like he does, paid for by taxpayers.

Among other things, the school system built a new Page Middle School in a swamp at a wasted cost of $7-$8 million in infrastructure plus a new school, Page, with 80 less students from 2010. The new school has increase in utilities of $70,000 more than before, maybe because of all the ...