To the editor:

Recently, my wife and I thought about moving from our Johnson County home to Lawrence. We love college towns, and Lawrence is the home to some very good friends. Lawrence is a fun, vibrant place, complete with culture, a thriving downtown, and big-time sports. All of this occurs within the presence of a wonderful educational setting.

As a high school teacher, I looked at the salary schedule for Lawrence teachers and could not believe my eyes. Moving to Lawrence would mean an immediate $10,000 pay cut to do the same job. When I looked at housing, I realized that home prices were not significantly lower for equal housing.

In a town where education is a driving force, apparently the Lawrence community does not feel that its public school teachers deserve fair treatment. The Lawrence school system must be using Kansas University and its continual flow of education majors to maintain low teaching salaries. I am sure other factors are at work here as well.

The Lawrence teachers deserve better treatment, as do the children of the district, a district that limits teacher pay and puts up roadblocks for prospective teachers who might move to the area.

Tony Budetti,

Overland Park