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050704 Supporting school budget is an investment
Katonah-Lewisboro School District
This is a CLASSIC shill letter...same old baloney
When we moved to New York five years ago, the factor that most influenced the location we chose was the quality of the school district. Having lived in several states and overseas, we are keenly aware of the differences in public school systems. In California, for instance, our children attended private school, since the public school system ranked 47th in the country. This is a state that once boasted the best school system in the country. However, thanks to Proposition 13, there has been a lack of tax money for schools, which in turn has had a devastating impact on the quality of education. Not only are the school buildings substandard and overcrowded but the schools can no longer offer music, art, or even bussing to students. They are forced to use outdated textbooks, and many of the teachers are underqualified. Therefore, when looking for a house, we understood that the tradeoff of a rural setting with little commercial tax base would mean higher taxes for a quality education.
Those who have lived here longer than we have and no longer have children in the school system may be opposed to any increase in the school budget. However, one must look at the situation objectively as to what is best for the community as a whole. Taxes have increased over the past years; however, the, percent increase is minimal compared to the increase in property values. Many of those owning homes here have seen their value double and even triple, and that would not have happened if we did not have a well-regarded school system. Oh Yeah ? Some bought ENRON stock too...what's it worth now?
Our neighboring towns continue to support their schools in providing whatever it takes to keep their children competitive in our increasingly demanding world. We do not want to be singled out as a district that does not support its schools. Lack of funds will erode the quality of education, and it will most certainly result in the erosion of housing value. If you don't support the school budget, think about the impact that a school budget defeat will eventually have on the value of your home. Last year, Katonah-Lewisboro was one of only two districts among the 45 in Westchester that did not support their schools. Your capital investment is at risk if we allow this to happen again.