By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Bowling Green City Council voted unanimously Monday evening to support the upcoming school levy – and to ask voters to do the same.
The resolution, requested by City Council member Jeff Dennis, states that one of the most important characteristics of a community is its school system.
“The quality of life, sense of belonging, identification with the community, educational outcomes, and all-around development of children, as well as the economic growth and the appeal of the community, are all significantly impacted and molded by the life and vitality of the schools,” the resolution reads.
“All members of Bowling Green are better off when the Bowling Green public school system is healthy,” the legislation continues.
While the resolution recognizes each citizen’s responsibility to research and vote accordingly, it encourages citizens to support the schools and vote for the operating levy on the May ballot.
The only hesitation from council came from Bill Herald.
“We’re all in agreement that something needs to be done,” Herald said.
But Herald said he doesn’t like the idea of City Council encouraging citizens to cast their ballots in favor of the operating levy. “I have some difficulty voting on something like this,” he said.
However, in the fall of 2023, when a bond issue was on the ballot for a new high school, Herald authored a similar resolution, with input from three other council members. In that instance, the resolution noted City Council’s support of the bond issue, and “recognizes and respects each citizen’s responsibility to research and vote accordingly.”
“With all of the above in mind, Bowling Green City Council encourages and recommends each citizen vote for the proposed public school bond issue,” the 2023 resolution stated.
On Monday evening, multiple members of council objected to Herald’s proposed amendment to the operating levy resolution.
“I don’t think we should change the language,” said Joel O’Dorisio. “We’ve been working diligently to grow the community,” and good schools are needed to attract families and businesses.
O’Dorisio said his children’s experience at Bowling Green City Schools, with “fantastic” teachers, was a big factor in his decision to move here.
Greg Robinette, whose four children graduated from BGHS, also said he supported the resolution as written. Though the city and the school district are separate entities, “we are inseparably intertwined.”
Failure to pass the operating levy will negatively affect everyone in the city, he added. Growth will stagnant, families will move, he said.
“It’s not enough for voters to research this levy,” Robinette said. They need to “vote for it.”
Jeff Dennis agreed.
“This will impact every single family in this district,” he said, adding that if the levy were to fail it would not affect everyone equally. Families who can afford to send their children elsewhere will do so.
And Mark Hollenbaugh stated schools need community support – which the council resolution would promote.
“At no time prior to this have I seen more of an assault on school funding,” he said. “We’re just at the point that we have to decide what our values are as communities.”
