Molly Lobel, representing the Arlington High School Democrats Club, addresses the Board of Selectmen on Monday, Feb. 1. With her was Olivia Munson. Emily Fuller was expected but could not get through the crowd. Here is the full text of her comments:

Thank you for having us here tonight. My name is Molly Lobel, and I am a senior at Arlington High School.

We are here to discuss the effects of the budget deficit on our school, and on us. Although it may feel as if the predicted cuts in our schools are inevitable, we feel that they are not.

We have spoken with Principal Skidmore and many of the teachers whom we admire and respect at the high school, and have come to the conclusion that the only viable action we can take to prevent such losses is to request that you put an override on the ballot.

I am here with many of my classmates, who have come tonight to show their concern for the future of our schools. In your packet, as you may have seen, are about 200 written testimonials of how students feel they will be personally affected by the predicted cuts.

We are not here to whine or plead for a greater allocation of funds. We are here to remind you that the budget deficit is more than just numbers to us. The numbers represent the countless students and teachers of Arlington.

We are here to show you how much we care about our school. We are here to offer a solution.

High School should not be filled with discussion-less lectures, overcrowded classrooms, and overwhelmed teachers, unable to provide much needed individualized attention. Nor should it be a place devoid of many of the young and enthusiastic teachers who, in conjunction with some of their more experienced counterparts, make school an enjoyable learning environment.

Fundamentally, it all comes down to this – without an override, the public schools will take a dramatic turn for the worse. We implore you to put an override on the ballot. It is the first step towards preventing the losses that will take so long to recover from. We hope that our message tonight is clear. Our schools need and override, and next year it will be too late.

With the understanding that it is difficult for you to ask the voters for an override that may not pass, please remember that we cannot know until we try. We need you to present the opportunity. If you do your part to get an override on the ballot, we will do everything we can to help it pass.

All of these students here with me tonight have given their time to show how much they care. I believe that together, we can pass an override and save our schools.