Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Missing the Point

The two of you are missing the point. It is about the children. The point is that unless poeple like you do something to control growth no amount of protest at school board meetings will change the funding dynamics of this school district. Residential growth is killing the district. For every home that is built, the district expends more money than it gains in taxes, income or real estate. If you add twleve hunded new students to the district, you will not have room to house the students and you will likely see the district discuss dropping kindegarten altogether along with athletics.

You can continue to go to school board meetings and voice your displeasure at the bitter medicine the school board is being force to dole out becuase of the failure to control growth. The problem is that teh school board has no ability to control this growth and is the victim of the failure of the city and township, who do have the power to control growth, to take responsible measures. I was simply point out that it would be much more effective to spend your energy getting to the root of the problem.

By the way, the fact that you believe city council and township meeetings arent's being well attened simply demonstrates your lack of awareness. The meetings usually take place in rooms that are jammed to the wall with crowds overlowing into the hall. Every meeting new groups of citizens show up and voice their concern about growth. It would be nice to add your voices.

Mark, it is certainly not about anyone's pocketbook. Personally, I have never voted against a school levy and have donated money and time to the schools. For me, it about the kids. Exactly where are you going to put the one thousand students being added to the district given that are schools are already at capacity. Diley and Harmon Middle Schools, built a mere two years ago, are already over capacity. We cannot house the elementary school students that we have. How many more protables will we need to add and at what cost? Where are you going to find the funds to build the new schools. Exactly where are you going to find the funds to add the new staff and other operating expenses necessary to educate these new students at a time when state funding is shrinking and the district is having trouble even passing modest operating levies. As usual, when you can't face an argument with logic, you go for the invective.

How about utlizing some of the vitriol your pour on Oakes and Rigelman on someone like Lou Postage who has expressed more concern about protecting the investments of the developers than he is about our children and who has publicly stated that the problems facing the school caused by rapid growth are not his responsiblity. How about addressing the morality of a former city councilman who is now talking about adding 225 more homes in Liberty Township to an already overcrowded school district.



By Robspierre

add one more

Not just Louie the 'non'growth king of Corruptington add one more --

Council President Bill Wright said the city had no power to deny a permit if one was requested. Not so 'wee' willie can get a little exercise with the heat he deserves.

Save the sarcasm


I don't think that Robspiere has suggested that you stop going to public meetings.

Mark if you have made any point today it's that the Schools currently don't control the rate of growth in our community. And quite frankly won't anytime soon. Bashing School Boards for not having the funds to support sports or 1/2 day Kindergarten is shooting the messenger to a certain extent. Operating expenses will continue to be a sore spot within our community until the student growth rate is at a level the schools can predict & absorb. When it is geometrically bigger we have to continue to make cuts to offset the costs associated with the new growth.

When I read the posting I took that it was being suggested that if the School Board can't control growth & knowing that it takes a $7500 to educate one child for one year, knowing that the PLSD currently receives 52% of this funding from the state (& that will go down) that leaves $3600 to be covered locally.

That comes from residential property taxes (based on a homes value & Density) & commercial development (the rate of commercial development also affects State funding) - those are factors not currently controlled by our School Board. So if you want to impact those factors you need to also attend another meeting whether it be a Township or a City Council Meeting. They control those factors (# of homes & value of the homes) but aren't overly concerned from an action standpoint on the affects on our schools system. If they were do you think the City of Pickerington would have issued 325 building permits in the first 5 months of this year in homes that produce significantly less taxes than needed per child?

The affects are across the board & multi jurisdictional - that was his point.

Lisa, Dictators are Dictators

Lisa Reade,

Our community is a big mess ... top to bottom. Even if every elected office holder is replaced this year ... it will take years and years to dig us out of the mess we are in.

We got ourselves into this mess because some elected officials did not listen to us AND DID NOT PROVIDE MEANINGFUL AVENUES FOR PUBLIC INPUT. The school board as a whole is just as guilty as City Council for the lack of public participation into their decisions.

I have always ... and will always ... give our Township Trustees tremendous praise for being ideal public servants. And, I think you will find that their website is indicative of their noble effort at keeping the public informed and receiving public input. I have said in speeches throughtout the state that we have the finest local unit of government possible. I still can remember when Terry Dunlap attended our civic association and there were numerous concerns about a dead-end court receiving too much traffic. The very next day -- yes, the very next day -- there was a sign on the court indicating NO OUTLET. Now that is government at work. That is not to say, I have agreed with every action our township trustees have taken, it is only to say that they are model public servants.

It was the school board -- not city council -- that Sara Rose and Tom Brennan called dictators for completely ignoring the recommendations of the 92-person boundary committee. Monhollen and Oakes drew the boundaries ignoring pleas from both Forest Yocum & Lew Stemen to take into consideration Rose & Brennan's concern. I was guilty of trying to defend their authoritarian actions. I was wrong at the time. Elected officials should never be defended for completely ignoring the overwhelming wishes of the community. NEVER. NEVER. NEVER.

It was our school board that completely ignored the advice of the experts and 72% of the public in scheduling all day, alternative days kindergarten. Our school board has shown a dislike for public participation at their meetings and a distain for input.

Lisa, I wish you would stop defending the actions of the school board at ignoring public input and participation. They are just as guilty as the City Council persons who many on this website express rightfully express concern over.

Ignoring the wishes of 75% of the electorate in limiting 2 homes per acre is just as wrong as ignoring the recommendation of a 94-person boundary committee. Dictators are dictators ...whether they serve on the school board or in City Hall.