Teachers, firefighters and police officers give a lot to their communities and represent the lion’s share of local government budgets. Just recently, Nashua’s Board of Education voted unanimously to send the mayor and Board of Aldermen a $144 million spending plan (a 6% increase) for fiscal year 2027.

It’s not easy for any city department, with rising costs, to maintain priorities and avoid job cuts. The Budget Review Committee at City Hall has a tough job ahead, especially with taxpayers crying, “Enough.”

During school board budget talks, Nashua Superintendent of Schools Mario Andrade said that long-term planning was essential for technology infrastructure and outdoor classrooms, where he emphasized the need for comfortable learning environments and new technologies.

Times have certainly changed since the 1960s and 1970s for kids in the public school system, and technology now plays a significant role.

There’s a bus stop just a few yards away in my neighborhood, and it’s not unusual to see students walking home with a cellphone in hand. Most are high schoolers, and others are middle-school tweens with heads all bent, gazing into their phones.

We didn’t have computers or smartphones when I attended, so these digital distractions weren’t there. Students experienced a more structured and disciplined learning environment at a very young age.

I never forgot this moment. The principal, Miss Eaton, ran a tight ship at the James B. Crowley Elementary School on Lake Street, overseeing 400 pupils. She was polished, well-respected and military-stern. She walked into the cafeteria one day during lunchtime and gave a speech, about what, I can’t remember, but one young boy was goofing off as he enjoyed a Hostess pink “Sno Ball.” Ms. Eaton noticed him and quickly took action.

She stood him up from the lunch table and began shaking him by his tiny shoulders, as the fluffy marshmallow-chocolate treat fell from his hand onto the floor. It was cruel and publicly humiliating, but back then, physical discipline sometimes occurred. I remember kids from other schools telling me about being scolded with wooden paddles.

There were also regular inspections for health and hygiene. I recall waiting in “single file” with my young classmates behind a curtain in the auditorium for eye and hearing exams and weight checks. A school nurse would often examine our fingernails for dirt. We were also frequently inspected for lice behind our ears and with our hair pulled back and up. There were strict cleanliness standards, and as a child, you just went along with it.

We didn’t have the societal knowledge we have today about child development and appropriate limitations between institutions and the individuals they serve. Yet, many would argue that our schoolchildren have it tougher despite the digital advantages. We live in a complex world where our youth is dependent on technology and can still feel isolated, depressed or not measure up to their peers on social media.

Our elementary school didn’t even have a standard schoolyard for recess. From grades one through six, my classmates and I enjoyed running around, no swings, slides or grass — just blacktop and a tall black iron picket fence surrounding the perimeter. But we were happy. All kids need to blow off steam outdoors.

Maybe that’s why New Hampshire lawmakers are seriously considering Senate Bill 578, which would mandate that schools provide recess for all students in kindergarten through eighth grade and prohibit the withholding of recess unless a pupil’s participation poses a physical safety risk.

I highly approve.