Dear Editor: We Must Stop Shifting State Burdens to the Community

Dear Editor,

We must stop shifting state burdens to the community!

At a recent Whitehall Indivisible meeting, someone suggested our community "come together" to fund the preschool program being cut from Whitehall. But that's not a solution-it's a symptom of a larger failure.

Rocky Head Start is closing, and families here are losing access to those slots so they can go to Helena. Why? Because we only filled 13 of 16 spots. That doesn't mean the need isn't real. It means the system is failing small towns like ours.

Ninety percent of brain development happens before age five. Preschool isn't a luxury-it's one of the most critical investments we can make in our children's future.

Communities shouldn't have to fill in every time the state walks away. That's not sustainable-and it's not justice. It's especially frustrating when people who oppose social programs suddenly expect collective donations and volunteerism to compensate for lost public services. Isn't that just privatized socialism?

This thinking puts more pressure on already-stretched citizens while letting decision-makers off the hook. Early education, healthcare, and support for vulnerable families are not optional. They're part of the promise of living in a society that values all its people.

The state has a responsibility to uphold that promise. Shifting that duty to the "goodwill" of the community isn't just unfair-it's unacceptable.

CHIARA SCHOBER

Whitehall, Montana