I read with interest your thought-provoking (and disturbing) article "Facing tough choices" (April 17). You noted the differing opinions of School Board member Rob Brown ("The district's goal should be 'a Brighton quality education' for its students") and Board President Joanne Giuffrida.

Referring to educational programs that reach fewer students, such as School of the Arts and the Wilson International Baccalaureate Program, Giuffrida said: "It is not my job to protect certain interests at the expense of others.... If the casualty is that we lose some parents, then we lose them. We should not skew our resources or our policy decisions to retain certain classes of people."

It seems to me that Guiffrida's comments miss the point. It is not a matter of "class" education; elimination of high-quality educational programs denies a quality education to all high achievers --- minority or non-minority.

This sort of thinking will not only cause an exodus of parents from the system, but it will also cause an exodus of all high achieving students, regardless of race, creed, or color.

William D. Smith, East Boulevard, Rochester