What should we do now that the voters have rejected a third school levy in as many years? To start, we should stop saying “kick the can down the road.” It doesn’t describe the damage of short-sightedness. “The can” ends up in ditch, yard, or recycling bin. There’s no real harm. Underfunding schools is more like neglecting your car’s oil. If you don’t change it, over time your car runs poorly and the costs of fixing it become catastrophic. We have neglected the schools on two fronts. One is by offering arguably unpopular plans and not finding support. The other is by sending budget cutters to Columbus and being grateful when they rob the schools of only half the money they threatened. Now, the engine of our community and our local economy, is sputtering, and the repairs will be expensive. Almost every building needs renovation or replacement.
What to do? First, don’t assume that all those who voted no on Tuesday don’t support the schools. Sure, some will always vote no. But they are a minority. Most people are reasonable. We all should appreciate that most people on both sides of Tuesday’s vote love BG’s kids, want them to have the best schools possible, and understand that good schools are not cheap. Given that, why not put a levy on the ballot this spring that will fund a new high school. The arguments and the plans offered three years ago are still valid. I believe that the majority of people who were divided on Tuesday will unite behind a plan for the high school. After that, let’s all work together toward an innovative strategy that captures what we all value about elementary education in Bowling Green.
I’ll be the first to help if asked.
Rick Busselle
Bowling Green
