Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

I thought people may be be interested in a column written by John Ansel appearing in most of the daily newspapers throughout Ohio today. All eyes are on Pickerington and John provided some interesting insight into solutions. The article read:

Using Sports to Pass Levies
By John Ansel

''Failing levies have led to some high schools abolishing high school sports. Perhaps it's time we take a look at what we're teaching our children.

Our school boards are basically threatening and blackmailing voters to pass levies, confirming my decision to place my son in a private school. I pay more because of tuition, but I avoid a threatening school board.

The Pickerington School Board is the latest culprit in this scenario. A levy failure led to the board taking the drastic step of wiping out extracurricular activities. I hope the people of Pickerington remember those board members at election time.

Many Ohioans view high school sports and other extracurricular activities as a valuable learning experience for children. Communities often unite behind their teams.

The Pickerington School Board seems to have forgotten their community recently approved the money to build new schools. Now the children of these same community members are bearing the brunt of a levy failure.

The school board will have a hard time convincing people this step is warranted without offering the alternative of pay to participate, which is still being explored.

The bottom line is Ohio's school funding is a mess. Our legislature and governor have proven completely inept in correcting this problem. School board threats are a symptom of this disease.

Where does all this end? Turning thousands of high school students loose with nothing to do can have a disastrous impact. Without these activities, students will look at other ways to channel their energies and not always find a positive solution.

Schools share the responsibility for their actions.

Is there a way to fix these symptoms?

Don't punish children for a levy failure. The board was elected to provide leadership. It's time for them to rethink this strategy before the whole community is damaged beyond repair. ''

Interesting ... what communities like Mansfield, Lima, Zanesville think about Pickerington board of education.

Who cares?

Mark

Who cares what the people of these other cities think? It just never sinks into your thick head does it? It is our problem and we will solve it. You are of no help, devoid of any constructive thoughts. Please move to Mansfield. If you need help packing I can have 30 people there romorrow morning. I'll even drive that damn U-haul truck. I will make more than one trip if needed.

Children running wild.

Mark:

Isn't it interesting that the schools are now responsible for children's actions. What happened to the parents being responsible for their children, not the schools?

School Board Blackmail

It is obvious to anyone in the community that has an ounce of sense, that the PLSD picked the most contentious items to cut in order to create the most uproar and gnashing of teeth in the community.
Their sole purpose in selecting busing and extracurricular activities to receive the budgetary axe was to in effect blackmail the community into voting for their levy.
Why not cut back on non educational items like the number of school nurses, school psychologists, school counselors and the over abundance of administrative staff.
Where is the thinking outside the box from school board members?
Could we get local industries to sponsor classes? For example Battelle and Abbott Labs or Bearhinger-Ingleheim may be willing to defer costs of science classes in exchange for advertising space on school walls.
Instead of having custodians on school payroll, contract out custodians like most major office buildings do.
School nurses could be contracted out.
I could go into more detail if I could get a copy of the operating budget. I asked school treasurer
Vince over two weeks ago for a copy. He assured me there wuld be no problem. To date no copy.
I propose we get a proposition 13 type issue on the ballot. Limit their taxing authority to passage by only a super-majortiy of voters 70% or better. Limit the percentage of growth in school budgets to the rate of inflation.
The PLSD complains about the new students coming from all the new homes being built.
Remember each home pays the property tax and school income tax. They are paying their way.
These weasels need to be stopped. Don't let them blackmail our children or the community with their proposed cuts. Vote them out and vote in fiscal conservatives who understand what it is like in the real world, the private sector at budget crunch time.
It is time to take a stand. I'm mad as Hell and I for one am looking for lik minded people in the cimmunity that have the courage to face up to these PLSD cowards and make them prove their cutbacks are the most responsible!