From parents of school-aged kids to parents of school-aged kids,
This is not a letter of why you should vote yes on the school bond proposal. Those reasons have been very well and articulately written about right here and elsewhere. This is a letter about being a parent.
Every day as parents we face a gauntlet of responsibilities. We know there are lives literally depending on us. We go through our mental list of what needs to happen today. Get kids out of bed; dress kids; feed kids; get kids to school/bus; decide on dinner; get kids after school; get kids to dance/piano/sports practice etc. depending what day it is; feed them dinner; check on homework/read to them; love them; get teeth brushed; tuck into bed. Repeat. Some days include additions to the parental list: get to grocery store; take to doctor; go to games/recitals; vote.
Some days, like today, your errands list includes voting for your kids. Between now and Sept. 13 you can vote for your child’s future in this community.
Last fall a total of 1,616 people voted on the school bond. Guess how many of those folks were under the age of 50: 432 is the answer (and only 163 people ages 18-34). That means that 73 percent of voter turnout was older than 50. It is likely that very few of them had children in school, particularly elementary-aged children or younger who stand to immediately benefit the most from the bond passing. Point being, children who stand to benefit the most from this bond passing were barely represented at the polls. Today’s parenting list has one more thing to do: vote.
There are somewhere in the ballpark of 1275 kids registered for school in our district this school year. That is a lot of parents with a vote for a bright future in Greene County schools.
The polls are now open; you can vote in the auditor’s office at the courthouse, which is open Monday – Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm. On Sept. 13 the polls will be open 7 am to 8 pm. There is undoubtedly a time between now and 8 pm on Sept. 13 in which you can make a quick stop to represent your child’s future. We’ll be there, and we hope to see you there, too.
See you at the polls,
Matt & Toni Wetrich, Jefferson
