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Letters to the editor
Vote yes on Issue 12
I am writing to thank those of you who have supported our schools in the past and to respectfully ask those of you who have not, to reconsider that decision.
As a teacher in the Groveport Madison school district since 1988, a resident since 2003, and a parent of a Groveport Madison student since 2007, I feel I have a responsibility to encourage everyone to come together as a community and finally support our most important resource - our children.
I fell in love with this village when I first began teaching so many years ago. As I drove to work I could sense the community pride when I looked at how well kept the streets and neighborhoods were. It had such a small town feel to it. When I married and had a child, it was an easy decision to buy our first home here because I knew it was a safe and friendly community. I have chosen to put my child in the school district because I have seen first hand the time and dedication the teachers and staff take with their students. They put in hours of their own time, money from their own bank accounts, and take a heartfelt interest in every child. It is not an easy job, but I know that each of us do it because we want to make a difference in the lives of our students.
I know that times are tough and won't be improving anytime soon. I know that there has to be a better way to fund our schools other than having to come to the taxpayers - but that solution is nowhere on the horizon. It really does come down to us as a community. Look around at the other districts and what they have been asking for, and often getting, from their community. It has been 12 years since we have passed a new levy and we still are on the low end of what is being asked. Please consider this. If not us, then who? If not now, then when? If we don't come together as a community to show that the education of our children is important enough to support, then what does that say about us? Please do what is best for our children and our community. Vote yes on Issue 12.
Cathy Bozoti
Groveport
Taxpayers must be firm and vote "no" on CW levy
How many times do we have to say "no?"
We turned down a Canal Winchester school levy in 2006, another in November 2007, another in March 2008, another in November 2008 and still we have another in May 2009. Now we have to say "no" again!
We need a legislator who has the guts to give us a law that restricts for five years schools attempting to pass levies that have been previously turned down by the voters.
The facts are: seven administrators got new contracts and new pay increases, they have cut high school busing and will increase pay to play sports and other activities if the levy fails. These are tough times and everyone needs to keep as much of their pay as they can. However, pay raises everyone can live a few years without.
I paid 59 percent of my total property tax bill to Canal Winchester Schools in 2008. I paid an additional 4 percent to Eastland Vocational School in 2008. Without a levy being passed since 2006 my property tax bill for Canal Winchester Schools has increased by $128.59 for 2009 which takes my percentage to 61 percent. I haven't had a child in school for over 31 years. You will be there someday with a more limited income than you have today.
The bottom line is the governor of Ohio needs to fix school funding for K-12 and relieve property owners. The President of the United States needs to reinstate the draft for every adult reaching age 18 and they need to either serve in the military or other public federal government service away from their home state for two years and earn their college education instead of having it given or loaned to them.
We as taxpayers need to stay firm on our "no" vote this May.
Larry Bigler
Canal Winchester
CW schools are a gem
When my husband and I returned to Ohio 15 years ago looking for a place to call home, we happened upon the village of Canal Winchester. We were charmed. The village had a covered bridge over a meandering Walnut Creek, a quaint, yet thriving downtown; a community pool, a proud historical heritage, church steeples on every corner, farmers' markets, festivals, proximity to downtown Columbus, three Metro Parks, carriage rides at Christmas, friendly faces, and good schools.
Soon others discovered the gem that was Canal Winchester. Our town and our school population grew. Despite struggles, the citizens of our community approved bond issues to build two new elementary schools, a new middle school, and an addition to the high school. Our community is rightfully proud of our new school buildings.
Unfortunately, because our community has not passed an operating levy since 2001, our schools face an uncertain future. It is the operating levy that actually runs the schools, pays the teachers, and pays the bills. In the eight years since 2001 we have increased our student enrollment from 2,195 to 3,413, an increase of 1,218 students, a 55 percent increase. Because of the school funding system in Ohio, an increase in students does not always translate into a lot of new money. In other words, there are a lot of new students, but not a comparable amount of new money.
We all know how difficult the economic situation is right now. Many are frustrated with the school funding system that puts us in this position, but local support for local schools will always be part of the funding equation.
On May 5, let's remember why we came to Canal Winchester. Let's remember why we stay. Let's preserve it for our children. Vote "yes" for CW Schools.
Christy Jones
Canal Winchester
Be prepared for difficult decisions in CW
Another special election cycle is upon us, and once again there is a levy for Canal Winchester Schools on the ballot.
Having supported each of the previous failed attempts, this is beginning to feel like a fool's errand. Voluntarily passing a tax increase during a severe economic contraction is not going to be easy - it's an enormous challenge even in the best of times. Given the average home value here, most of us will be facing around a $100 monthly increase.
Having said that, our schools are rapidly approaching the point of no return. Other communities have seen this cycle- once the funding hole gets big enough, the necessary tax levies become so large that no one can possibly afford them. This leads to a death spiral of harsh budget cuts and brutal tax increases that barely patch the wounds.
And that's just the school system. The larger effect on property values is more pernicious and takes much longer to reverse. However, a recent campaign flyer from levy supporters may have done more to hurt the cause than help it. Specifically, what exactly was the point of highlighting the nearly 12 percent decline in property values in the Villages at Westchester? I suppose it is some comfort that Canal's total decline was less than half of that, so at least the average is weighed in our favor.
To the rest of us, this tactic has an unseemly "look at us" flavor and distracts from the valid point they were trying to make. It clearly implies that one neighborhood's precipitous devaluation is a direct result of our district's funding problems. But correlation does not equal causation - if it did, we would expect to see a similar decline for all neighborhoods in the district. It is much more likely that Westchester's slide is a result of too many overpriced homes to begin with, apparently purchased by too many people who couldn't afford them once the ARMs ran out.
I have supported every school levy and bond request so far, but am undecided about this one. It's a huge pill to swallow and the timing couldn't be worse. Do we absorb a difficult emergency levy, or be faced with the certainty of an even bigger increase in the future? Keep in mind the perverse fact of school funding in Ohio: the longer this goes on, the bigger projected deficits will become, resulting in correspondingly bigger tax increases or budget cuts.
There is no doubt our schools need the money. But we must be realistic and face some hard facts: this levy faces long odds, and if it doesn't pass there will surely be deep cuts coming. Since the school district's first purpose is, well, school, don't be surprised if we are forced into gutting extracurricular programs. Personally I do not want to hear the school board say they've done all they can if athletic programs are still left standing. If it comes to that, textbooks and teachers would hopefully receive the greater priority.
Our district is doing a pretty good job considering we have the lowest teacher pay scale in Franklin County. We can all find something to nitpick, but the administrative staff is also lean when compared to the fluff in many other districts. And suggesting we wait for the state's funding fix is a dangerous proposition, considering its history so far.
Be prepared for difficult decisions, and possibly difficult times ahead. Choose for yourselves now - what is most important to me?
Patrick Chiles
Canal Winchester
Why I'm voting no
I honestly want the best for our Groveport Madison school district, but I think they are going about it the wrong way.
There appears to be a lot of deception from what our school board has been telling us in order for them to lock us in to this tax increase. Six months ago we voted down an 8.06 mill operating levy and now they are trying to slip by a larger one for 9.36 mills in the spring, figuring only the uninformed, will vote. They say we pay less in school tax then other school districts in Franklin County. What they do not tell you is they are figuring in bond issue monies for the brand new schools that are in those other districts. What they should be showing us is what school districts are paying in operating expense. What we pay right now per student in the Groveport Madison School district and this is right in line with the other Franklin County school districts. Westerville is one of the higher school districts and they pay about $200 more per student and look what they get for there money!
Groveport Madison needs to think outside the box. They need to learn to do more, not with the same, with less. I have had to learn how to pay a higher cost of living with less. I have to pay higher water bills, insurance bills, even tax bills and all the while making less money. Think about this one example, I know you could get laptops for all the students, say fifth grade and up, at less then $600 each. Then instead of text books we use CD ROMs and bam, how much money did we just save? They can make it work, but if we enable them not to make it work, we will only hurt this school district more along with our pocket books having less.
Brian Casserly
Groveport
Pay now or pay later
To the voters of the Groveport Madison school district - consider this:
If our levy had passed last November we would be paying an extra $60 per year for a $100,000 house. If we now pass our levy in May, we will be paying $120 per year.
We are fortunate to still have renewal millage included in our levy. If the levy fails, most likely it will be all new millage going on the ballot the next time. And what do you think it will cost us then?
Like an old commercial used to say, "You can pay me now or pay me later."
Unfortunately, since the state legislature has failed to change the way schools are funded, it is up to us. It's unfair and it makes us mad, but I would rather vote "yes" when the cost is reasonable because if the levy fails the cost will get out of hand. Just ask the voters in Canal Winchester and Reynoldsburg.
Judy Higgins Stokes
Groveport
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