One more time...........

Another person has posted against the levy in my comments........


DiamondsJohn said...
You left out a couple of key facts, the average home would have to pay close to $600 more per year for 3 years. If you live in a house that is not average you are well above the $600 per year. For what you ask, more of the same. VOTE NO.
April 28, 2009 9:40 AM

Well John, lets discuss.

Lets take your post one piece at a time, but not necessarily in order. First let me address the last full sentence.

"For what you ask, more of the same."

Yes, more of the same would be lovely John. The difference in our outlook comes from our difference on what more of the same means. A continually improving and growing district, yes, I want more of the same. Continually increasing state test scores, yes I want more of the same. Continuing to increase in graduation rates, yes I want more of the same. Continuing to be recognize on a state level for academic achievements, not to even mention the growing and improving reputation in extracurricular activities, yes John, please bring on more of the same. People actually wanting to move into the area because of what it has to offer, yes John, more of the same would be wonderful. Is this district perfect, heck no. Perfection is unachievable when man runs the show, we know that. Is this a good district, heck yes its good, given time it could even be great.

Next.........

"the average home would have to pay close to $600 more per year for 3 years"

I think your numbers are a little inflated, but lets not argue about our math abilities. I will give you the benefit of the doubt for now. Lets ask this question, if your right is it worth $600 a year? Is it worth $50 a month? Is it worth $1.64 a day? Lets answer that question in two parts.

The parent:

I will answer this question at least in part from a personal perspective. My daughter gets speech therapy and ESL (English as a second language) assistance in kindergarten. She gets additional attention from teachers and aides and administrative people due to this issue. She could lose all of these things in the cut backs. Is this worth $600 a year to me, of course it is. Now, you could just say, well then you pay for what she needs, and guess what, I will end up doing that if it happens and I will do it cheerfully, But, it will cost a tremendous amount more to hire a private tutor than $600 a year, and what about the other kids using this service, its not like she is alone. In fact I might go ahead and bite the bullet and hire a Chinese speaker so she can actually learn her native tongue at the same time, but wouldn't it be cool if she could learn it in school and other kids could learn it too? My daughter enjoys the small class size that allows teachers to know if she is actually learning or just attending. My daughter has college preparatory classes to look forward too so she can achieve the necessary foundations to go on to a higher education. My daughter has facilities that will allow her to learn a multitude of different things in this ever changing global world we are moving into. Is my daughters future worth $1.64 a day? Yes it is. She is worth more than the cost of a 20 OZ. cold coke, she is worth more than a pack of cigarettes, she is worth more than a long drive that uses gas, she is worth more than that extra large fry. Is it worth it to a parent, yes, it has to be. I don't think the average person understands just how far the bar will drop if the school reduces its offerings down to the state minimum requirements. They will not only not offer extras, they will not offer the basics needed to compete in the real world, this is not a joke, it has the ability to threaten the future. We are already behind our European and Asian competitors in education, and we want to cut more?

The non parent:

If people start leaving the area due to the decline in the school and the inevitable increase in crime, do you think your property values will drop more than $600? I guarantee it. If people just stop moving into this area because the school is no longer a draw, will your property value hold steady? No way. As a person who grew up in a struggling district and moved out of a failing one (Deer Park) let me assure you, one of the many reasons my house was on the market for so very long was because people didn't want to move into an area with a declining school and rising crime rate. The population of Deer Park is shrinking, as is the population of Reading, where I grew up. People want out. I like the small school idea, but I wanted the bigger and better opportunity for my daughter. These things have a direct effect on your value. You might save yourself that $600 a year, but you will lose much much more when it comes time to sell and you cant get out, and you will want out as the area deteriorates over time.

John, the unfortunate part of all of this is I agree with you on one thing (I think, because I am reading between the lines here) The way Ohio funds its schools needs changed and improved. Not every state follows this format. The way to change this situation, however, is not to deny the kids their future with a no vote, the way to change this situation is to change the system. If somebody smarter than me would like to write up the legal eze, I would be happy to start the petition drive to change things.

John, I also noticed ( I think ) that you posted from Greenville S.C. Enjoy your vacation. I think this sort of dialogue is productive, so if I still have not won you over to the YES side of things, please post again and we will continue our debate. I promise to keep a civil tongue as long as you do the same. Thank you for your input and for being polite, unlike the last person who disagreed with me. Looking forward to more with you...........


VOTE YES JOHN VOTE YES......................