Chickashanews.com

Editorials

April 5, 2010

Vote YES in bond election

The Express-Star

— So far, talk of the upcoming school bond issue has correctly centered on taxes, finances, and campus restructuring.

Those considerations are, obviously, important. But the April 6 vote is about more than money, students, or schools.

It’s about direction.

The world is a dynamic place. Nothing stands still – and you either move forward with advances, or you watch them pass you by. That’s particularly true in education and economic development.

Which is why we ask: Will Chickasha choose a path of progress? Or will it stand on the sidelines and watch as other cities and school districts gain further advantages?

We think Chickasha should progress. It should move forward and not let other cities gain an upper hand in industry recruitment. That is why we encourage you to vote YES for the $20,235,000 Chickasha Public School bond issue Tuesday.

Some 27 other districts are considering improvements to their schools – and Chickasha must keep up if it wants jobs and industry to come to town.

In addition, there are specific reasons why now is the right time to approve this bond and build a new early childhood center. They include:

•  The current facility is overcrowded and landlocked. Teachers and students are currently crammed into classrooms that are stuffed from floor to ceiling. Bill Wallace Early Childhood Center is bursting at the seams. It lacks needed floor, wall, and storage space. Classrooms at the new center would be significantly larger than existing ones, and each classroom would have its own additional storage space and restrooms.

• The business environment is right. Interest rates are low. Two years ago, when the district used bond money to renovate the high school, interest rates were at 2.75 percent. Now they are between 1.19 and 1.9 percent. Local bank officials have never seen interest rates so low. Also, contractors are scrambling for business, so the district may get more bidders for the job. More bidders and bids could equal lower costs. 

• No tax increase. This bond issue would not increase property taxes. A previous bond issue is set to expire soon. When it does, the proposed bond issue would replace it. So, this would be more like an extension of an existing tax rather than a new tax. No one would notice a difference in their tax rates because of this bond. No one likes taxes, but they are a necessity. New, modern schools don’t just fall from the sky. They have to be financed by citizens who care about the future of their community.

Let’s pass this bond issue. Let’s give our economic development team what it says it needs to grow industry here. Then let’s hold economic development’s feet to the fire to make sure they grow it.

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