The Future of Martin County West

To the Editor:

Martin County West School administration has laid out a plan that, after careful study, they feel will help balance their budget while continuing to meet the ever-changing educational needs of our children. Admittedly, it isn’t cheap. The administration has been open about the plan and how they reached the conclusions that they’ve presented. The data is deep in support of this plan, and it calls upon us to band together to save our district.

However, I recently attended two presentations offered by MCW CARE, where arguments were presented against the bond referendum. These presentations raised some interesting questions. Where they fell fatally short, however, was that they raised only questions, and superficial ones at that. MCW CARE offered no answers. I waited through these presentations waiting for the grand finale, the magical answer to all of MCW’s woes. Literally, any other option. Sadly, this was not to be. The presentations ended without giving any other alternative or plan. They asked the audience to think about the economy, community needs, and the price of eggs. They indicated that, because it isn’t guaranteed tomorrow, we should not utilize the Ag2School funding that is available to help us with our building issues today. The presentation provided all sorts of economic gloom-and-doom, gleaned from headlines found on the internet. CARE stressed over and over again that a Ã’task force’ should be formed to take charge of the situation, as they no longer felt that the school board adequately represented the will of the taxpayers. While pushing this task force, they either couldn’t (or wouldn’t) tell us anything about who would appoint it’s members, what powers they would have, or who would be selected other than to say that it would be made up of “top community stakeholders.” I’m not sure who constitutes a “top community stakeholder,’ but I’m speculating that the average MCW parent won’t qualify for such a lofty position. CARE asked us to think of the big picture, but otherwise offered absolutely nothing towards solving the problem.

I did think about the big picture, and it boiled down to one question. If the referendum does not pass, how will the district survive? It stands to reason that cuts to services and activities would be certain. What happens when bus routes are eliminated and parents have to take their kids to school? What happens when activities (many that have real-world application, like robotics) are eliminated? Or the sports we all love? What about staff positions that are eliminated by attrition, causing our remaining educators to become overwhelmed? This isn’t as simple as asking kids to turn the light off when leaving the bathroom, or disbanding the Secret Santa Committee. The MCW budget does not contain many luxuries that can be cut. Everyone in the district has thought over and over again about the financial impacts of the referendum. However, has anyone thought about what it will take to continue operations on our current path? Are you willing to continue to hemorrhage money with operating levy after operating levy just to maintain the status quo, that doesn’t address building issues? Or do you want a return on your investment? Will continuous operating levies, perhaps coupled with smaller bond referendums, really add any value to our community? After significant budget cuts are made, will our district still be a quality learning institution? Will we, as parents, live with the consequences of these cuts? Or will we start looking at other schools?

I’m sorry to have to bear the bad news, but we are going to have to pay to play. If we are going to have a school district, it’s going to cost money. Parents will always do what’s best for their children. If there were a button that, when pushed, would provide our children with everything they needed to be successful in life, every parent in our district would push that button. We’d smash it until our hands bled. Alas, no such button exists. In reality, the modern educator is continuously doing more with less. Any of our amazing teachers or administrators will tell you that public education is constantly evolving in order to prepare our children to succeed in an ever-changing world. Gone are the days where reading, writing, and arithmetic were the only skills needed to survive. Hundreds of one-room schoolhouses stand silent and abandoned on our prairies as a testament to this fact. One could argue that many are still “structurally sound” (they are, after all, still standing), but remain vacant. Why? Because at some point in history, they no longer met the needs of those they once served.

Ladies and gentlemen, I truly feel that the upcoming bond referendum will ultimately determine the fate of our school district. We cannot sustain ourselves long at the current level, and I question the ability of the district as a whole to absorb the impact felt by massive budget cuts that will be necessary to offset the current operating and transportation costs. We cannot make this about memories and feelings. The struggles faced by our farmers and small towns throughout our county are very real. However, this decision must ultimately be made for one singular group in our community: the children. This is about our children’s future, plain and simple. The district exists for one purpose only, and that is to serve our children. It does not exist for you, or for me. It is for our children.

The time has come for all of us to be part of the solution, rather than help to prolong the problem. The best way to do that is to vote. If you are a “no” vote, then start doing some work. Anyone can conduct a terror campaign with scary headlines from CNN. It’s time to stop the hand-wringing and develop a real alternative. As presented, a “task force” may be a great, feel-good idea for “community unity,” but it won’t balance the budget. Nor will it contribute to our children’s education. Meanwhile, the district has developed a plan and has explained clearly how they reached the conclusions that they reached. They’ve identified where the biggest expenses are and are asking us to help eliminate those costs. As a career law enforcement officer, I made a living going where the evidence led me. I followed the evidence. In this case, the evidence leads me to believe that supporting this bond referendum is the best choice for rescuing our district.

It has been advertised that a “no” vote on the referendum will not dissolve the school district. This is only partly true: it won’t dissolve it directly. Instead, a “no” vote will let the district die a slow, painful, agonizing death by a thousand paper cuts. Please vote YES for the children and staff of Martin County West.

Cameron Kamlitz

Welcome