Letters to the Editor
By now most of you know that the Eaton School Board has placed a small bond issue on the November ballot for the construction of two new school buildings. These buildings will complete the master plan for facility improvement we started back in 2001. There is no question that our new High School building and the renovated and enlarged East Elementary are incredible additions to our district and the Eaton community. Now it is time to bring the rest of the facilities up to today’s standards.
Why now? Back in 2001, the Eaton community showed its concern and support for our children’s education by paying the 57% local share of a master plan that included new or renovated buildings for the district. The state promised to pay their 43% in a few years to cover the expected cost of a new middle school and renovations/additions to Bruce Elementary. Well, it’s a couple years later than expected but…the state wants to give us over $24 million toward the construction costs of these buildings! And they want to do it NOW! But, they have made it a “limited time” offer. This money is guaranteed to our district for only one year. This is truly a “use it or lose it” proposition.
There is a small price to pay for such a gift. We knew from the beginning the state would require us to pass a ½ mil tax to help cover operating expenses for the new buildings. In addition, inflation has pushed today’s cost of the buildings a little higher than we projected back in 2001. What this means is that our community needs to support a 1.9 mil bond issue to cover the additional costs of construction and the operating expenses in order to receive the $24 million from the state.
The 1.9 mil real estate tax would cost the owner of a $100,000 home less than $60 per year. That’s less than $5 a month or $1.25 a week! For about the cost of a soft drink or candy bar or a cheap fast food sandwich this home owner could support two new school buildings that would complement our beautiful new High School and East Elementary buildings and add substantially to the overall value of living and raising a family in Eaton, Ohio. It sounds like a “no brainer” but we realize these are different times. Not all of our citizens are employed right now and the thought of future economic uncertainties can be worrisome. However, one of the few good things about recessions is that they end. When that happens, how will we look back on this opportunity?
We have a choice to make this November. Our Eaton Community Schools have recently been ranked as “Excellent” by the Ohio Department of Education. We as a community should be very proud of our facilities, teachers, staff, and especially our children. Can we really afford to hinder our kids’ progress or diminish the value of a great education for less than the price of a cheap hamburger a week? Think about what our schools do for our kids and our community. Find out the facts about this bond issue and vote with your heart and your brain—you will find they both will lead you to the same decision. Eaton schools are in fact “Building Upon Excellence.” Vote YES this November.
Dr. Richard H. Mitchell