After reading and listening to arguments on either side, I want to encourage BG school district residents to vote for the BG school bond issue.
As stated by independent evaluators, two of the three existing elementary schools have insufficient capacity and are too old to be economically upgraded to meet current standards of health, safety and adaptability to changing educational methods. They should be replaced.
At the recent candidates’ forum, all candidates for the school board were asked, “What should be done if the bond issue fails?” Not one of the candidates had a response beyond asking residents, again, what they want and would support. The school board did just that in developing the current plan for one new elementary school, funded by a combination of property and income taxes. I see no reason to expect a different outcome if the process were repeated, except action to improve our school buildings would be delayed and the associated costs would increase.
I am sympathetic to the situation of the agricultural community, who have suffered an awful growing season due to the wet spring, but believe that the combination of income and property taxes are an appropriate and fair accommodation to all groups that will be impacted differently by each of these taxes.
As a long-term resident of BG, with two children who received a good education in BG schools, I also believe I have an obligation to future generations of children to ensure they also have the benefit of good schools in our city. Please join me in voting for the BG school bond issue to help make that possible.
Joseph Jacoby
Bowling Green
