As a retired educator and as the Education Committee Chair of Bowling Green’s League of Women Voters, I and the Bowling Green League of Women Voters strongly support the ballot issue to convert a 5-year income levy to a continuing income stream.
As we look at the challenges our schools face in addressing the needs of our children, it is imperative that our schools have access to the dollars that come into the district as a result of the positive votes over the last 40 years from levy votes. Financial prudence requires that part of the monies received from past positive votes for renewal of the 5-year levies be set aside as savings against the possibility that another vote to renew would be turned down. The district currently has approximately $22 million in reserves that cannot be spent. A positive vote will allow part of the $22 million to be freed up for expanded education services, to invest in new or existing buildings or to reduce outstanding debt balances.
I have heard arguments made that a vote every 5 years is a way to “keep tabs on the school board”; yet we entrust our children to the schools every weekday. Doesn’t it make sense to give those schools access to the funds you have paid so they may be used to improve the educational system, rather than creating the fiscal necessity to set back funds in case a 5-year levy renewal is turned down? If we are unhappy with the direction of our schools and the action of school board members, we can vote those board members out of office and possibly run for office ourselves.
As you vote please remember that, throughout the COVID pandemic, we all have praised our teachers as heroes. We learned about their work to educate our children as we struggled through the challenges of virtual learning. Now is your opportunity to help those educational heroes by voting YES to approving the change from a 5-year renewal income levy to a continuing levy. Your positive vote will not increase in the amount that you pay as a school tax. It ensures that the schools have the confidence to allot funds to continuing projects without fear of losing those funds in another 5 years.
Sharon F. Libby,
Chair, Education Committee
League of Women Voters of Bowling Green
