To the Editor:

Nov. 3 is a very important day for the future of Worthington schools.

Cards Inc., a group comprised of parents and guardians of over 900 students participating in the athletic program at Thomas Worthington High School, is proud to support Issue 49.

Without Issue 49, our schools will face huge deficits and will need to make $14 million in cuts. These cuts include an immediate doubling of pay-to-play fees at the middle schools and high schools, with no family cap. This means that a student participating in one sport will see his or her participation fee jump from $125 to $250. If a student participates in more than one sport or if a family has more than one child taking part in athletics, hard decisions around participation may have to be made by the family.

Additionally, cuts will also include the elimination of high school freshman level sports, effective in fall 2010. We cannot let this happen to our students, to our schools, to our community.

Issue 49 is necessary to continue providing the quality education our kids need for the future and to keep our communities strong and our home values high.

Let's stand up for our students, our schools and our community by voting "yes" on Issue 49 and continuing to invest in our excellent school district.

Cards Inc. officers and Booster group representatives

Lisa Potts, president; Jean May, vice president;

Jeff Cowgill, treasurer; Danny Straub, secretary
 

 

To the Editor:

Kids and seniors. At first blush, they appear to be at opposite ends of the spectrum, but nothing could be further from the truth. Combine the two and magic happens. Remember the grandparents in your life?

I am coordinator for the Circle of Grandparents, senior citizens who teach character qualities in the Worthington schools. We are sponsored by the Partners for Citizenship and Character, which promotes a different character quality each month. Appropriately, October's word is responsibility.

Our members epitomize responsibility. They volunteer throughout the community and their work with our children is unparalleled. To see their amazing efforts, visit our Web site, circleofgrandparents.com.

At our last meeting, we were honored to have both Superintendent Conrath and Treasurer McCuen address our group about the upcoming levy. Even on fixed incomes, the COG sees the need for the levy. Being in the schools, they have worked with caring and devoted staff and have seen the faces of Worthington's future leaders, our children.

While I cannot speak for all, the majority of our 60 seniors support the levy. At our meeting, members observed that most moved here for the schools; that their children had received excellent educations and college scholarships; that the board has trimmed the fat; and that property value decreases will far exceed any tax savings of a failed levy.

Living in Worthington carries responsibilities. To maintain the character that provides Worthington's unique and quaint charm, we must responsibly support its heart and soul -- our schools. If your tax savings are a higher priority than excellence in education, you can now get a great deal on a house in the communities whose levies have recently failed.

Debra Stephen

 
 

 

To the Editor:

My family located to Worthington 10 years ago. We chose this community based on the excellent reputation of the school system, and we have been impressed with the opportunities and attendant quality of education that our child has received.

We are especially grateful, as we moved from a region of the country where public education was mediocre at best. However, as a result of the Worthington schools' response to fiscal pressures, the students in our school system today do not have as many beneficial opportunities available as five and 10 years ago. Anyone who has had a child in this system knows that.

Anyone who does not have a child in this system would not have that firsthand, day-to-day realization, familiarity and appreciation of the value that an education based in providing a broad range of experiences offers. Those in the community who are self-appointed "experts" in school funding are not likely to be experts in a well-rounded primary and secondary education curriculum.

Recognition of this loss of programs and opportunities over the last several years is largely unrecognized, much less understood, by those in our community who purport to educate Worthington. The maintenance and progressive growth of an excellent public education in Worthington and the benefits it brings directly to the students should be the core issues that are kept in mind -- not diversionary discussions based on differing philosophies of school funding and public education.

Communities that thrive and prosper are those that look forward and invest in the future. A strong, well-supported public education is the cornerstone for that future. I hope the citizens of Worthington choose to continue to be that kind of community. Vote "yes" for Issue 49.

Don Overmyer
 

 

To the Editor:

In 1986, my family moved to Worthington from Boston, Massachusetts. As a 16-year-old reluctant to relocate, I never could have imagined 23 years later I would be marvelling the many ways this great school district has impacted my life.

As a new 11th grader, my year was made better by teachers like Gini Crowley who warmly welcomed me and helped me to become involved in the great WHS community. Wendy Thompson pushed me to excel in Spanish 4 and influenced my decision to become a Spanish teacher.

My husband is a lifelong Worthington resident. His mother is also a Worthington graduate. When we purchased our first home, there was no question that we, too, wanted to stay in a community that had prepared us so well for college and our professions.

We are now the proud parents of three Bluffsview Elementary students. Every day, the Bluffsview staff meets all three at their individual levels and pushes them to become more. Everyone we've encountered is enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and treats my children as their own. Their days are enriched with related arts and EPP offerings. Simply put, we feel like we hit the jackpot.

After six years at home with my children, I was so blessed to be able to return to my teaching home, Kilbourne Middle School, in a part-time capacity. Here, I am fortunate to daily collaborate with colleagues who work tirelessly to meet state requirements and keep us an Ohio School to Watch. I was, however, startled after a six-year absence at the necessity to do more with less. Yet the teachers and staff are tirelessly doing just that.

So now this outstanding district, one of Ohio's best, is at a crucial crossroads. Issue 49 would allow Worthington to maintain its outstanding schools. Without it, deep cuts will influence everything from class size and offerings to music to sports to the value of our homes. It's a tough economic time; no one is happy to pay more taxes. But we must ask ourselves what kind of Worthington schools we want for our community.

On Nov. 3, I hope you will join me in voting "yes" on Issue 49. In the words of my great alma mater's fight song, stand up and cheer. It's time to fight for dear old Worthington.

Kristin Scott

 
 

 

To the Editor:

There is a large amount of empirical research that clearly indicates that the quality of the education that students receive is related to the amount of money that a society invests in education. A high-quality education is one of the best predictors of long-term physical health, mental health, income and general well-being.

There are many arguments for and against Issue 49, but at the end of the day, it is the welfare of the students that we all should be most concerned about. Putting politics, opinions about educators' salaries and all of the other rhetoric aside, a vote of "yes" on Issue 49 will be a vote for all of our children.

Eric Anderman

 
 

 

To the Editor:

I spent 12 years after high school out of Worthington. Six years ago, my wife and I started a family in Clintonville. We were suddenly faced with new, grown-up decisions about our kids' future.

We were willing to stay in Clintonville, spend money on parochial schooling, private schooling or whatever it took to make sure our boys got the best education. After serious contemplation, we made a decision.

I decided to "boomerang" and move back to Worthington -- the place where I enjoyed a great childhood and received a premier education. College showed me that my experience was rivaled by those of my private-school classmates, but theirs missed something. Our children's education will be about test scores, books and homework -- but we desire much more. We want them to be molded by friends, parents and teachers who are part of the fabric of the community of Worthington.

We moved back so they would encounter the same resources, caliber educators and members of the community I encountered -- like top-notch resources in the classroom and after school, teachers like Mrs. Bookwalter who held her hand over her heart whenever Shakespeare's name was mentioned, like Principal Paul Jones who mentored and produced thousands of great kids. I want to be sure my boys will create their own memories with resources equal to those afforded me and a new generation of exceptional educators.

Sending my kids to Worthington schools and passing Issue 49 is not about nostalgia; it is about ensuring an opportunity. I've been successful in college and in life because of great educators, sustained excellence in the schools and participation in a community that valued education.

Give the kids of Worthington this opportunity by passing Issue 49 on Nov. 3 so that in 20 years, they also come back for more.

Ben Minister

 
 

 

To the Editor:

Education is the key not only to our kids' success, but also to the strength and success of our state.

As a state legislator committed to the education of all Ohio students, I know the importance of the teachers, administrators and support staff who help school districts truly reach for the stars when it comes to academic goals. To that end, the Worthington City School District deserves special recognition.

Data show that Worthington has much to make it proud, considering the district met 29 out of 30 state standards and has an overall rating of "excellent with distinction." But data is only one indicator of the commitment Worthington schools have to our community.

From its extracurricular activities to its high-achieving students to the future leaders it nurtures, Worthington has created a school district its residents can take pride in. Please join me in saluting the efforts of the Worthington school district to shape the leaders of tomorrow, and I hope other districts may be inspired by its commitment and success.

John Patrick Carney

representative, Ohio House District 22
 

 

To the Editor:

Before voting on the upcoming school levy, Issue 49, I recommend voters visit the Franklin County Auditor's Web site and review the estimated cost of upcoming levies for their property.

You can find this information by visiting the auditor's web site at franklincountyohio.gov/auditor/. Select the Property Search link from the main page, then select the Address option. Enter your street number and street name, click Search, and select your parcel from the Search results. A summary page for your property will be displayed.

Select the Levy Info link on the left, and a list of levies that will affect your property will be displayed, including the estimated cost of each levy to the homeowner.

Mark Baker
 

 

To the Editor:

You may have read in a recent Worthington City School District newsletter that, in an effort to show good financial stewardship, $11 million was "cut" over the last three years. You may also have seen this figure stated in the pro-levy campaign literature.

After recently meeting with the district treasurer, I received a document entitled "Worthington City Schools -- Reductions/Shifting 2006-2009." This one-page report concluded that there was $11,478,048 in total savings in this three-year period. Depending on the timing of the cut, many line items were counted up to three times for the same cut. Even worse, over $4.5 million wasn't cut at all, but merely shifted to the 2006 bond fund and paid for by that levy.

During the last levy campaign, the district used funny math to underestimate the average salary of Worthington teachers. This time, we have phantom savings to the tune of nearly $4.5 million. Is it too much to ask for solid, reliable information from our district leaders, who control over $100 million of our money annually and continually ask us for more and more?

William Fallon
 

 

To the Editor:

As voting day approaches, each person and family in the Worthington City School District has an opportunity to influence the future of our community in a positive way if we choose to support Issue 49.

This is our chance to maintain the outstanding school district staff and the programs that are recognized by the state with the top rating of "excellent with distinction." Our graduates have proven over the years that the education they received in Worthington prepared them to compete in our rapidly changing world.

On a personal note, my daughter and her husband are planning a move next year, as their son will begin school. Worthington is one of the communities they are considering because of the first rate education my daughter received here. My advice to her has been to wait until after the levy vote, because the educational opportunities in Worthington will change in a negative way if the levy doesn't pass. There will be major cuts in personnel and programs. Our schools cannot afford any further reductions if we hope to retain the same high quality results.

For decades, the Worthington schools have produced graduates who have earned high academic honors, competing with students throughout the state and nation. Staff has worked to meet the needs of students within all levels of abilities and talents. Curricular and extracurricular programs have developed the talents of individuals and prepared them for life. Now is the time to step forward and vote to protect the programs and staff that have already been reduced due to the May levy defeat.

Let's show our support for our students, our school district and our community.

Woody Hayes often said, "You can pay forward." A positive vote for Issue 49 is paying forward by investing in our young people and in adding to the value of our community.

Gerald Prince

 
 

 

To the Editor:

I am a longtime supporter of Worthington schools. In fact, my family has stayed in a home smaller than we'd like because we believe three bedrooms and a Worthington education is better than four bedrooms and a mediocre education.

But I am also someone whose family budget has been impacted by furlough days and two years of raises below inflation. So I had to think long and hard about how vigorously to support another hit to my wallet.

At first, I was angry at the school operating costs. Then I saw the progress the administration has made in controlling costs over the past several years, eliminating 40 positions and $11 million, while keeping annual operating increases to below three percent.

Can the district do more? Absolutely. But I think it's made an honest and successful start. Forcing the type of wholesale cuts necessary if the levy fails just doesn't make good business sense. Plus, it's not in my heart to be the kind of person who says, "We'll vote down their levy. That'll teach 'em."

I also thought about the impact on our own family budget. I figured it would be about the cost of a pizza or two a month. Considering the quality of education my children are receiving and the positive impact the Worthington district has on my property value, I felt I could sacrifice a pizza a month. Then I looked on the county auditor's Web site and found out I was wrong about the cost. It's actually a whopping $4.94 each month.

So, for the cost of a bottle of pop a week, I get to continue a first class education for my kids, secure my property values and ensure Worthington's tradition of producing successful students that will help drive our economy in the years to come.

Bill Teets
 

 

To the Editor:

The current economic downturn emphasizes more than ever that receiving an excellent education is critical. Education and marketable skills provide our students with a chance to remain employed or start businesses of their own.

Passing Issue 49 is essential for maintaining high-quality education in the Worthington City School District. If we, as a community, want to prepare our children to be productive and responsible, we must ensure our teachers have the materials and resources available to do their jobs. Now is the time to take positive action, to make certain our neighbors and friends are informed, and vote for this school district levy.

Education in Worthington has always focused on the basics and more, as evidenced by the continued recognition of "excellence with distinction." Maintaining small classroom size and a well-rounded education by preventing the elimination of music, art and physical education teachers is vital to everyone's future.

I urge you to get out and support our schools -- and community -- by voting "yes" to Issue 49.

Scott Shearer