By BILL McNUTT

I hope we are not embarking on what could be an every other year school levy campaign, as envisioned by our district treasurer.

I believe him when he says the May 2 request is scaled as low as possible, and also that we will need another in 2 years. This is all too realistic -- if the current system of reliance on ever increasing property taxes is not soon replaced.

For the first time in my near 60 years of voting for school levies, I am concerned about whether I can afford to vote for this one. I'm even more concerned, even indignant, about the fact that no groundswell has developed in recent years , in this and other affluent suburban communities, to change the outdated over reliance on property taxes.

One idea, expressed in a recent letter to the editor, was for a surcharge on the state income tax, used only for education. The state library fund won similar access a few legislative sessions back and has since had it steadily chipped away by legislative action, but it is still an excellent proposal.

Ownership of property is not a sure fire indicator of wealth, possession of money usually is. The most recent statistics on the subject show the poorest 20 percent of households in this country experienced an income increase of slightly over 6 percent from 1979-2000, the top 20 percent moved up 70 percent (and the top 1 percent got a whopping 184 percent increase ) in the same period. Unfortunately very few of senior age living in this community were among the recipients of the last two segments

Local letter columns have been full of valid answers to those who have decried staff salaries, lack of communication ,too many administrators ,and all the many dissents that are heard when any increase in funding is needed, or to put it more crassly,when taxpayer are asked to put up more money

But there are some valid changes that should be endorsed not only by the general public, but by teacher unions and school administrators. Any legislative overhaul is going to and should affect every pupil in the state. I would submit there needs to be minimum per pupil state support and that the final per pupil total of state and local combined funding not be too far below that for the so called affluent districts.

What this means is that local levies may be curtailed, even that we go to a countywide system over the entire state-with teachers and staff as well paid ( and well qualified) in Columbus and Hamilton Local e.g., as in Worthington and Bexley.

Requiring levy permission is necessary for Michigan, where school tax overhaul took someplace some years ago --and under a quite conservative Republican governor, believe it or not -- which of course does not mean everybody is happy with their solution. If it costs more to get experienced (which I hope means better) teachers into these low income districts, it will be money well spent. I would not go so far as to assign them there, but salary-wise, there should be little or no difference; even higher compensation would be justified

It is interesting to note that of the two Democratic party candidates for 21st district representative, Ms. Ackerman expresses outright opposition to charter schools, Mr. Hernandez manages to dance around the school question by calling for a fair and equitable funding plan, though he was not asked what he would do to enforce the Supreme Court decision that already calls for just that.

I have always maintained that if the money spent on charters were used to implement some of the proposals such as those just made, there would be no need for charter schools. They have very little supervision and less accountability than the already existing public system, which can do everything attempted by charter schools, if needed and necessary changes are permitted and then made. A couple of suggestions for these: more team teaching, strict segregation of discipline cases under good teachers, plus a bit more authority to deal with troublesome parents.

Don't be surprised if this levy goes under, not because its not needed, but because of the economic affect on property owners.

I suspect my vote will be favorable, but really more important than the levy will be voting for state candidates listed on the ballot, who will listen to those who do want just what has been called for: a fair and equitable solution to school funding problems, based on a taxing system that truly reflects the ability to pay.

Bill McNutt is a Worthington area resident and a longtime contributor to the Worthington News.