Don’t Rush to Judgement on Bond

To the editor:

Mr. Martin and I were at the same school board meeting on Feb. 9. He started his letter last week with a false statement that needs to be corrected. The board voted unanimously to put the issue of a $90 million dollar bond to the voters. Yes, the voters get to decide. Clearly Mr. Martin is already trying to stir the pot. Before the board vote, information was presented on each item included in the bond. Questions were asked and the audience was allowed to participate.

Mr. Martin tries to divide the bond into a cost per student number which is ridiculous since the benefits of this bond go far beyond one year’s student enrollment. He attempts to link the ISD bond with county tax hikes. These are two different taxing entities with very different goals. Furthermore, it is not the school district or even the county property taxes that are stealing the hope of home ownership. The appraisal values are assigned by a different agency who is following what the state government tells them to do. That is what needs to be addressed. He implies that the ISD has “greedy fingers on the dial of property taxation.” What he doesn’t realize is that the state tells the district what the tax rate will be. If districts were allowed some leeway to tax for needed projects, bond elections wouldn’t be needed. I have attended the district budget hearings for three years. The board works diligently each year to use our tax dollars for the best benefit of students, staff, and district. It’s not easy to do when the state is funding less than their fair share. Finally, Mr. Martin mentions the district rating. If he attended more meetings, he would know that the district is constantly improving. He would also hear about all of the amazing programs offered by LGISD that impact our students in a positive way. He should also do some research on the state rating system and its flaws.

I understand that no one likes a tax increase; however, I encourage you to study the items covered in this bond. Don’t rush to judgement based on one misleading letter. Another person in attendance at the meeting on Feb. 9 said that we should give our students what they need, not what they deserve. I strongly disagree with that. I think our students deserve to have quality facilities and staff. That also includes providing the staff with needed work spaces. Please spend the next two months doing your own research, asking questions, and making an informed decision that is in the best interest of our students and community.