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References posted to the Warren Local Issues discussion group... Click here! |
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Recent letter to the editor by Byron McCoy... One of the mantras from the proponents of the Warren bond levy is for us to get our facts. Well there is a saying, "you are entitled to your own opinion but not your own facts," and here is an irrefutable fact. The opportunity to receive matching funds from the Ohio schools facility commission (SFC) does not end if the May 3 levy is defeated. I was prepared to quote Ohio Revised Code (ORC) in order to make this point but then the school held an open meeting and had in attendance representatives from the SFC. They established the fact that, if this bond levy fails, we would go into a "lapsed" status which would mean that in the future, under the current structure of this process, we could pass a bond levy and then have the opportunity to receive assistance for the SFC under the still existing "master plan" for new buildings. It is my opinion that the school board and its representatives have intentionally misrepresented this fact in order to put into our minds that this is a "do or die" situation. I can hear the wails of protest now as everyone reads this but all yelling aside ask yourself this question. What did you believe was going to happen if this bond levy failed to pass? The voting public has many and various reasons they are opposed to the bond levy, one of which is they do not like the way supt. Gibbs and others have dealt with the public. While I think he could improve his "people skills" please don't shoot the messenger. He is just an employee and one of his duties is to be a spokesperson for the board of education. These decision are theirs and the fact that this community is so divided now is because we have had to discuss and vote on the same levy again and again. It is the BOE's responsibility to balance the needs of the students and the needs of the community. When I was an elementary student in the Eastern school district in the '60s we took a field trip to the Warren high school building because, we were told, it was such a marvel and the way of the future in education. Well that future is now and the future has a way of not caring what the past thought of it. Do we now want to spend $75 million on five buildings that may not be what we need in 10, 20, 30, or 40 years from now to meet the educational needs of the future. One fact for sure, the future needs will not be the same as they appear to be now. But, you are saying now, something has to be done. If this levy fails again the BOE will be faced with the fact of having to follow through on their planned cuts or maybe, just maybe, they will come to the voting public and ask, what can we do to work together to get done what needs to be done. Perhaps if we can get done what is absolutely necessary now, we can keep moving forward and get done what may be necessary in the future. |
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Why is a building levy being promoted when the school district doesn't have the income to support existing salaries and programs? |
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Is there an unmentioned funding levy looming directly behind this Bond Levy? |
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Are we "doubling-down" for buildings at the expense of needed funding? |
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Is this Bond Levy the right answer for the Warren Local School District? |
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