Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Hands continued

The down side of all of that is we have these over lapping jurisdictions all over central Ohio area. The Pickerington Local Schools have parts in Reynoldsburg, Columbus, Canal Winchester, Madison Township (Franklin county), Pickerington, Liberty Township and Violet Township. In the old days when we had these country schools system like Pickerington the school population was low enough and the growth was slow enough that the systems were not over whelmed.

Today to the delight of the home builders our suburban school systems are a mix and match of different standards and different cultures between those jurisdictions. At Go Away?’s suggestion I have looked at moving but when you have a couple of teenagers you do want to look at the schools. The problem is the districts are so cut up. We looked down in Bloom Township and one house is in Bloom Carroll and across the street is Canal Winchester schools. We were within a mile of the Bloom Carroll High School.

I am not convinced that smaller school districts mean poorer education standards. I am convinced that when the State does decide to address the school funding they need to address the school district boundaries. I think when Municipalities reach the 5,000 population mark and become a City they need to create their own city school system. I think that when Townships become classified as urban townships (I believe a population of 10,000) they need to break away and form their own school district. That doesn?’t mean they can?’t include small portions of students out side their districts.

The purpose here is to align the government that controls land use with the government that provides the education. Many of the problems this school district has is this over lapping government issue.

When Columbus annexed the Northwest corner of Fairfield County Columbus had NO RESPONSIBLY TO ENSURE that there would be facilities to educate the school age students that they were bringing into the district. What kind of political leverage did Pickerington have on Columbus when they were overloading them with students? When Pickerington approved 2,200 building lots in 2002 were they responsible to first ensure that the kids moving in would have schools? When Violet approved zoning of the Haff farms and Glenshire (which was land that should have been commercial) did they ever consider the effects this rezoning would have had on the PLSD tax base? Maybe if the local land use government first had to get the approval or at the very least submit a plan to THEIR local school district before land use decision are made maybe, just maybe, we all wouldn?’t be in the funding crisis we are currently in.

I believe someone asked what do we do with the Columbus residents and their kids that are in the Pickerington school district? If the State legislature wants to fix the funding then require Columbus to either share some of the commercial tax base money from the their coffers or let the Columbus Schools provide the education from their coffers. The Columbus schools have a half billion dollar building program going on at the very least they can provide a building or two in the PLSD. As we all sit here and hurl insults at each other somewhere along the line we need to address the school boundary issues. I for one admire the Groveport group for their efforts.. They are bringing the problem right to the state legislature. Maybe if other suburban groups did the same thing maybe we all could correct the problems of funding in our schools. Sitting here telling people to GO Away will NOT!


By Big Meany

Try Again

Dear Big Meany,

I will discontinue this discussion unless you start responding to some of my comments. You use many words but say little that makes any sense.

For example, you write, '' You are making a giant leap to conclude that smaller school districts can?’t provide an excellent education for their students. They can and they are doing so every year.'' Yet I never said this.

My actual comment was, '' If you try to split the school district you will look like a fool to the public, because the students are receiving a quality education.'' I meant exactly what I said. There is nothing you can say in response to this because you and I both know this is true.

You also tell me I am ripping Groveport schools. I am not. I state that they're test scores are low, which gives them credence in approaching the state to split the school district. If Pickerington were in the same situation then your calls for a split might make sense.

Since Pickerington's test scores are high, and the students are receiving a quality education, you're way out in left field on this one.

You also state, '' The origins of his web site were people thinking outside the box and offering solutions. They were probably in large part responsible for the change in the Pickerington City government.''

I have to wonder exactly what change in Pickerington City government you are referring to. The one where former allies are now enemies and former enemies are now friends? That one? Or how about another posting on this website complaining that the city isn't enforcing its own neighborhood standards?

I have a thought: clean up your own house before trying to clean up someone else's. Wait, I get it now. This is a campaign strategy! Since the people who were elected to make changes at city hall can't even get along with the Township Trustees, you want to divert the negative attention over to the school district! ''Look everyone, WE'RE not the problem! It's the schools! We can't manage the city, so now we want to mismanage the kids' education!''

Well, at least it makes sense as to why you can't respond to any of my arguments.

As for your comments about Columbus sharing their commercial tax base, I have some different thoughts about that. At the time Columbus annexed into the school district, Pickerington was also trying to annex the same land. Columbus won, and Pickerington has been resentful ever since. I'm half expecting you to say next that if Columbus residents want to drive on Pickerington roads they need to pay a toll.

When you start making sense I will respond to you. In the meantime you can assume my silence means I think you are a complete idiot.



By Go Away

make Good Neighbors

Mending Wall




SOMETHING there is that doesn?’t love a wall,
That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it,
And spills the upper boulders in the sun;
And makes gaps even two can pass abreast.
The work of hunters is another thing:
I have come after them and made repair
Where they have left not one stone on a stone,
But they would have the rabbit out of hiding,
To please the yelping dogs. The gaps I mean,
No one has seen them made or heard them made,
But at spring mending-time we find them there.
I let my neighbour know beyond the hill;
And on a day we meet to walk the line
And set the wall between us once again.
We keep the wall between us as we go.
To each the boulders that have fallen to each.
And some are loaves and some so nearly balls
We have to use a spell to make them balance:
?“Stay where you are until our backs are turned!?”
We wear our fingers rough with handling them.
Oh, just another kind of out-door game,
One on a side. It comes to little more:
There where it is we do not need the wall:
He is all pine and I am apple orchard.
My apple trees will never get across
And eat the cones under his pines, I tell him.
He only says, ?“Good fences make good neighbours.?”
Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
If I could put a notion in his head:
?“Why do they make good neighbours? Isn?’t it
Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.
Before I built a wall I?’d ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offence.
Something there is that doesn?’t love a wall,
That wants it down.?” I could say ?“Elves?” to him,
But it?’s not elves exactly, and I?’d rather
He said it for himself. I see him there
Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top
In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed.
He moves in darkness as it seems to me,
Not of woods only and the shade of trees.
He will not go behind his father?’s saying,
And he likes having thought of it so well
He says again, ?“Good fences make good neighbours.?”



Robert Frost (1874?–1963). North of Boston. 1915.



By Good Fences