Thursday, April 27, 2006

Mike Alfred is co-chair of the group called Educate Worthington. John Herrington is the other co-chair. They can be contacted at educateworthington.org

On May 2, the residents of the Worthington school district will be asked to approve the third school levy in five years, while accepting the likelihood of an estimated 10-mill levy in 2008 -- all as our student and staff populations slowly decline.

The excellence of our school district, and the efforts of our talented staff are appreciated and do not go unnoticed. However, even if we would like to continue with the business-as-usual spending of the past, at some point this may no longer be possible.

From the public forums and the letters and articles in the local papers, it is clear that something has changed from 2004, when the last levy

passed without much discussion. This year, there appears to be genuine and broad concern about whether a levy every other year is a sustainable course for the residents and businesses of Worthington.

While this change in public sentiment is significant, of far greater importance is whether our district leadership and our school system as a whole have a true concern for the levy course they have helped to chart, and whether they intend to turn this concern into action.

We hope that, despite the outcome of the levy vote, the district accepts the legitimacy of the immediate and long-term concerns of many in this community, and begins the difficult work that change requires.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to see why our leadership would retain any sense of urgency for change once the levy revenue required to continue spending as usual is made available. We wish this were not so, but this is simply human nature.

In the end, if you feel the money requested for this levy is truly for the children, despite that the $12-million in additional yearly revenue does not promise new or expanded opportunities for our students, you might likely vote yes.

If you feel the district already has enough money to provide the excellent education that Worthington has always been known for, you might likely vote no.

Finally, if you feel our district leadership and staff need to seriously consider whether a levy every other year is good for the long-term health of the residents and businesses in this community, you might want to consider a vote of no -- not yet.

This vote recognizes that we do have financial needs that will require some amount of additional funding in the near future. More importantly, however, this vote recognizes that allowing our expenses to grow at a rate that now requires a levy every two years, as we teach fewer students with fewer staff, is simply not sustainable.

Additionally, it acknowledges the reality that our district leadership may need for the community to formally request the necessary changes to our spending plan, through the voice of its voters.

May 2 is your opportunity to make your request.