Some of the first posts on this blog argued for the school funding referendum that voters in the Monroe County School Corp. district approved in 2010. Now it’s time to vote again, and the need for a yes vote is as urgent as it was six years ago.
The 2010 referendum authorized a modest increase in local property taxes to supplement the school funding MCCSC receives from the state. The authorization expires after this year. If we don’t vote to extend it, it’s likely staff will be reduced, class sizes will balloon and programs will be cut.
As I’ve written before, it’s easy for people to find a reason to vote no. We can all point to school corporation decisions that we don’t agree with. But voting down the referendum won’t hurt the school board or administrators. It will just hurt our children and grandchildren.
The first referendum passed with over 60 percent of the vote, and this year the “Yes for MCCSC” campaign organization has been doing a good job of spreading the word about its importance.
But this is a presidential election year, unlike 2010. More people will be voting, and for many, school issues won’t be foremost on their minds. According to friends who have been canvassing, many voters aren’t aware the referendum is on the ballot; they haven’t given any thought to how to vote.
This has been a very unusual election season, and chances are there will be some surprises Tuesday. Here’s hoping the MCCSC referendum isn’t one of them.
School Matters 