I was contacted by Jennifer Wray from the Pickerington Sun-Times yesterday regarding a post I placed regarding my feelings on the upcoming school levy. She is contacting members of the community who are voting Yes, No or are otherwise unsure at this time for an article she is working on. I'm not sure how what I said will come across in the paper so I thought I'd post my comments in their entirety so there is no confusion.
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Jennifer, first of all let me state I am still unsure of how I will vote on the upcoming school levy. Looking around Pickerington it is evident we are in need of more elementary schools and since there is a need I feel compelled to vote ?‘Yes?’ as I always have in the past. However, I have to ask when will the next levy be coming and the next and the next? How long will these schools last before we have to build another and another?
The unchecked residential growth in the city and township is causing these levies to be continually brought before the community and any requests to stop or slow down residential development falls on deaf ears. Our school board claims to have a line of communication to the local governments yet the area is building homes at a greater rate than in years past. So what good is this line of communication doing if it is not being used to pressure the local governments to stop this insane growth?
Our schools cannot keep up with the residential growth and city council simply does not care. There appears to be some restraint in the township but there is still too much development occurring. Our school board must publicly admonish city council and the township trustees that they are risking the quality of our children?’s education in pursuing this residential development. Their silence on addressing city council and the township is the same as an endorsement as far as I?’m concerned. They state it is not their job to tell city council how to do their job. In most instances I agree however when city council?’s decisions negatively affect the schools it is THEIR JOB to do something about it and then they need step in and take a stand.
City council thinks meeting the minimum standards on state proficiency tests equals good schools and that overcrowding is part of living here and something that should be accepted. Instead of being proactive and looking to the future and asking ?“how are the decisions I?’m making now going to affect our community in the future?” they look to the past, shrug their collective shoulders and say that?’s the way it?’s always been. They ask how all this growth is hurting the schools. Cutting of programs is clearly evident, field trips are nearly non-existent, and more monies are coming from the pockets of those involved in extra-curricular activities then ever before. Their position seems to indicate a wonderfully reactive stance that means that the school system must really be hurting before they will attempt to do anything. I believe this is referred to ?‘closing the barn door after the horses have escaped?’.
... continued in next post.
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Jennifer, first of all let me state I am still unsure of how I will vote on the upcoming school levy. Looking around Pickerington it is evident we are in need of more elementary schools and since there is a need I feel compelled to vote ?‘Yes?’ as I always have in the past. However, I have to ask when will the next levy be coming and the next and the next? How long will these schools last before we have to build another and another?
The unchecked residential growth in the city and township is causing these levies to be continually brought before the community and any requests to stop or slow down residential development falls on deaf ears. Our school board claims to have a line of communication to the local governments yet the area is building homes at a greater rate than in years past. So what good is this line of communication doing if it is not being used to pressure the local governments to stop this insane growth?
Our schools cannot keep up with the residential growth and city council simply does not care. There appears to be some restraint in the township but there is still too much development occurring. Our school board must publicly admonish city council and the township trustees that they are risking the quality of our children?’s education in pursuing this residential development. Their silence on addressing city council and the township is the same as an endorsement as far as I?’m concerned. They state it is not their job to tell city council how to do their job. In most instances I agree however when city council?’s decisions negatively affect the schools it is THEIR JOB to do something about it and then they need step in and take a stand.
City council thinks meeting the minimum standards on state proficiency tests equals good schools and that overcrowding is part of living here and something that should be accepted. Instead of being proactive and looking to the future and asking ?“how are the decisions I?’m making now going to affect our community in the future?” they look to the past, shrug their collective shoulders and say that?’s the way it?’s always been. They ask how all this growth is hurting the schools. Cutting of programs is clearly evident, field trips are nearly non-existent, and more monies are coming from the pockets of those involved in extra-curricular activities then ever before. Their position seems to indicate a wonderfully reactive stance that means that the school system must really be hurting before they will attempt to do anything. I believe this is referred to ?‘closing the barn door after the horses have escaped?’.
... continued in next post.
