Toledo residents, I urge everyone to vote on the bond based on facts, not misinformation.
A recent letter to The Chronicle from Toledo resident Bob Reid made the case for voting “no” on the upcoming school bond. Reid presented a number of statements in support of his position, calling them “facts” and demonizing the school board’s analysis.
While Reid’s bombastic statements might sway some minds, most residents would prefer the actual facts, which are all publicly available. Reid said that the $12.9 million bond was only cheaper than the earlier proposal of $14.2 million because of the efforts of “no” voters to fix the school’s faulty figures.
Please. A number of projects, including lighting at the high school, an ADA-compliant paved path to the stadium, and upgrades to the high school and elementary school kitchens, were accomplished with levy funds, grants and the community’s donated labor.
There was only one double-counting error (for furniture, fixtures and equipment) that was discovered, shaving $250,000 off the cost of the bond. On the subcommittee that found that error, only one member was a “no” voter.
Reid complained that the school district was “double dipping,” since the prior levy, passed in 2015, promised to fix items that were included in the bond. The truth is that the levy asked for an additional $420,000, spread over four years, because of a large number of projects (including the high school’s water supply, the middle school’s roof, and the elementary school’s boilers) were in dire need of repair/replacement.
Those funds are insufficient to accomplish all of these projects, so you have to do the most vital ones you can. You can’t compromise on the health and safety of students. Thanks to that levy, the water project will be complete before the 2017 school year begins, but the middle school’s roof and the elementary school’s boilers are on borrowed time.
Reid also complained that we have students attending Toledo schools that are not Toledo residents, and therefore don’t pay taxes. Well, duh, but that’s not the whole story.
Students’ families, like all families in Lewis County, can choose which school they go to. In the 2016-17 year, we had 102 students not living in the district attend Toledo schools, and 84 students who do live in our district attend school in other districts.
People want to come here, and we welcome them. Enrollment is increasing. And we want those kids to stay. The real facts are much simpler than Reid’s attempts to mislead with falsehoods.
We get it: You don’t like taxes, and you don’t value education. Well, nobody likes taxes, but well-educated children are more important than a few hundred dollars a year.
The facts are that our students deserve high-quality facilities. They deserve science classes with interactive, experimental laboratories. They deserve heating and cooling. They deserve a safe, comfortable environment to learn in.
In short, they deserve better facilities and a better education than the previous generation got. Vote no if you must, but own your real reason: You value your low taxes more than our community’s children.
Ethan Siegel
Toledo
