Tightening the belt is fine, but don’t ignore value

Tightening the belt is fine, but don’t ignore value

EDITOR:

I am writing in response to the Oct. 20th letter to the editor that encouraged voters to ‘just say no’ to more taxes. I would agree that there is an element of truth to this statement and that as our economy has weakened we all need to tighten our belts.

That being said, I would like to specifically address the Western Reserve School Levy that is on the November ballot. This is a RENEWAL levy and does not increase the taxes already being paid by residents of the school district. As residents, we have an obligation to fund our schools and a renewal levy will maintain current levels of funding from the local community at a time when state funds are being cut.

The Western Reserve School District already spends 21 percent less per pupil compared to the state average. Compared within the tri-county area, 36 schools spend more per pupil while only 8 spend less (State Board of Education statistics). Even on this tight budget, Western Reserve schools have received an excellent rating on state testing standards for 8 straight years. With the decline in state funding, failure of this renewal levy in the November election would have a pronounced effect on the educational programs Western Reserve is able to provide its students.

The easiest decision in these economic times is to vote no on this renewal levy. However, the responsible decision is to support an administration that has been frugal with the money it has available while educating the youth of our community. Please vote yes for the Western Reserve schools levy renewal.

DEBORAH BENYO

Berlin Center