Page 2— Vernonia Freedom
Thursday August 20,1981
Rebuttal
Let's not sacrifice education to panic mentality
The discerning reader will have
noticed that nowhere in last week’s
editorial concerning the upcoming
school levy did we advocate the
blanket approval of ‘all tax levies.*
We didn’t even go so far as to plead
for the indiscriminate approval of all
school levies. What we did do though,
was make a plea to our readers that
they not sacrifice a good education in
the name of a panic mentality.
In a world as specialized and rigidly
compartmentalized as ours the basics
of an education just barely serve the
individual well enough. To survive or
to move ahead a person needs
experience
and
the
adaptive
capabilities a variety of life-situations
provides.
The truly perceptive reader would
have also noticed that we didn’t run
the editorial in question before the
last levy election, but rather before
this next one. Some readers might
even have deduced that the last levy
drew no editorial supporting it
because there were serious questions
about the advisability of the schools
even trying to provide a program
nearly as large as last year’s with
nowhere near the same amount of
available funding.
It is too easy to say that our
educational system’s failures, the
minority of students that manage to
squeak through school without
learning anything of any real or
lasting value, are solely the fault of
our schools.
students to study within the limits
that their own constituency, the
voters and parents of those students,
will allow them to.
Unfortunately, the truth is much
less easy to swallow. Often it is
parents and students themselves who
place such a low priority on education
that they’re willing to piddle away
their school years in the aimless
pursuit of mediocrity. While it’s true
that schools often share the blame it
is also true that under any
educational system there will be
those students who will insist on
failing - it is inevitable. By the same
token, schools can only discipline
Simply stated, we’re asking all 47J
voters to dig into their pockets once
more to support their children and
their schools. The difference between
a school system that is barely able to
provide basic training in Reading,
Writing and Math (such as further
drastic cuts might create) and a
system that can offer the basics as
well as some variety are far too great
to allow us the luxury of finding out
just how inadequate an education can
be.
Schoo! levy editorial full of "glorious ideals, rhetoric"
To the Editor:
In response to the Freedom
editorial “School Levy Failure Robs
Students of Experience”, I found the
article to be filled with glorious
ideals, double talk and pure rhetoric.
First of all I am shocked that the
paper would accuse the responsible
citizens who defeated the tax levy of
robbing our children of an education.
I believe most taxpayers defeated the
measure because they knew it to be
an outrageous and ridiculous amount.
The editorial went on to say that
“By voting No to any levy, we’ve
dramatically cut our children’s
chances to experience the widest
possible variety of choices.” It seems
to me the editorial is saying we
should approve any and all tax levies-
Period. This basic premise defies logic
And the very education that is the
topic of discussion. Being an
educated person, I have learned to
examine an issue, weigh the pros and'
cons, look at the facts and then
decide. Education has not taught me
to say yes to every tax levy in the
name of education.
I also believe most taxpayers who
defeated the measure would like to
see at least an attempt to cut the
budget in a meaningful manner. If the
hopeless federal bureaucracy could
cut waste as well as non waste from
its budget, surely the district can do
no less. I say that the district should
sit down with care and concern in
their hearts and for God’s sake
reevaluate the entire program. Surely
there are things to drop other than
forestry and small engine repair
(punishment for us selfish taxpayers).
How about not buying those
expensive toys, for instance, $1500
for a merry-go-round? How about
children learning to add and subtract
in their heads and forget about
teachers wanting calculators for their
students? How about keeping desks
and chairs and not wanting new ones
everytime we turn around? All of
these things and more were proposed
in the 1981*82 budget and most were
accepted.
Now how about a look at that
“sacred cow” the athletic department
and some of its practices. For
example the proposed athletic
department budget for VHS is
$42,514.00. Compare this to the
proposed math department budget
for VHS of $28,908.00. Or the science
department budget for $24,271.00.
Moving on to another emotional issue
by the 4?J district we find the lunch
program. I’m all for kids getting a
nutritionally balanced lunch (which is
subsidized by the taxpayer), But how
many taxpayers realize that the
teachers as well as administrators are
benefiting from this program
designed for our children? Teachers
and other faculty members can
purchase a lunch for $1.00 at the
taxpayers expense. Where in town
can you get lunch comparable to that
at the school for $1.00? (I don’t know
either). So don’t tell me about the
poor lunch program suffering. If the
47J district was serious about saving
taxpayers money: 1. Teachers would
either pay a realistic amount for the
lunch or buy lunch in town (and help
Vernonia’s economy) and I guarantee
you it would be more than $1.00 or
$1.35 (the proposed increase). 2.
Students who can afford a realistic
price for lunch should be allowed to
pay it. If you think money can’t be
saved here we are talking about over
$100,000,000 just for this program.
Turning to another area we find
that the 47J district would like to
purchase the Chevrolet garage in
town at a cost of $81,000.00 of which
Vs of the said purchase price was
Vernonia Freedom
Published weekly in Vernonia Oregon, 97064. on Thursdays at 825 Fridge St.
Serving The Upper Nehalem Valley. Phone 129-81II. Subscriptions, $8 per year.
Deadlines for copy and classified advertising: Monday at .» pm for the
following Thursday's paper.
Deadline for display advertising: Friday for normal material and Monday for
after-weekend copy.
Second-Class Postage Paid at Vernonia. OR 97064. Publication No. 474-690.
POSTMASTER: send address changes to Vernonia Freedom. 825 Fridge St..
Vernonia, OR 97064
Dennis Dobson........................................................................... publisher-editor
Ann Dobson.......................................
publisher-business manager
MEMBER
429-8111
Oregon
Newspaper
Publishers
Association
l|
included in the do or die tax levy that
was defeated in June. The budget for
1980*81 shows that $20,000.00 was
spent for improvements on the
Chevrolet garage. In other words
$20,000.00 of the taxpayers money
was spent on a building that the
district doesn’t even own. And “at a
time of austere budget cuts imposed
from above by both state and federal
authorities” (in the words of the
Vernonia Freedom editorial) one
would think that the 47J district
would table any plans to make such a
purchase until we, the taxpayers,
could afford it. Rather than spending
$20,000.00 to renovate a building
they don’t even own, I would think
they would’ve used that money to
repair the “deteriorating mortar
between the brick in the exterior
walls at Washington Grade School”,
(reported in the Vernonia Freedom
Vol. 3 No. 39).
In closing I must refer back once
again to the Vernonia Freedom's
editorial of last week. The article
insinuated that the defeat of the tax
levy was synonomous with robbing
our children of education. This just
isn’t true. I strongly believe in a basic
well rounded education but I equally
believe in fiscal restraint, a honest
budget, and representation thereof by
the district. I have listed a number of
items that I believe are just the tip of
the iceberg. I say that we can have
quality education with a reasonable,
realistic budget. I say that we don’t
have to rubberstamp every tax levy
that the districts wants in the name
of education. I do not subscribe to the
belief that a well rounded education
includes sports. A well rounded
education is just what it says. And if
there are any cuts to be made I
suggest the Chevrolet building
purchase, the teacher’s lunch
program, the bloated athletics
department, the holding back of the
cost of living increases for the
administrators or salary cuts, (for the
good of education, of course); and
eliminating some of those assistant
coaches and assistants to the
assistants.
Finally, do not let an editorial or
anything else make you feel guilty if
you honestly cannot support a higher
tax base. But more importantly, do
not let an editorial or the school
district make you feel guilty if you
can see that a tax levy is not needed
at all but merely common sense
restraint on a budget that is clearly
out of hand.
P.S. I suggest that all interested
parties go to the 47J district
headquarters and get a copy of the
school budget so you can see the
truth for yourself.
Phillip Williams
Vernonia
Readerasks:
Don't hurt my
child's education
To the Editor:
I am responding to the letter to the
editor in last week’s edition of the
Vernonia Freedom.
Maybe Ms. Williams doesn’t know
how to do percentage math but I
want my children to be able to. Don’t
hurt their education.
Ms. Williams figures for State
Basic School Support were incorrect.
Also she didn’t mention anything
about federal monies lost * that we are
supposed to be receiving back in
lower income taxes.
In past years, Vernonia schools
have provided a pretty well rounded
education for my children. So far this
year with the $200,000 cut we have
lost some important classes (Home
Economics,
Forestry,
Driver’s
Education, PCC van). We also lost
some important extra-curricular
activities (Drama advisor and
royalties on school plays, dance team
advisor, cross country, golf, girl’s
J.V. basketball, J.V. wrestling,
printing of the student newspaper,
grade school cheerleaders and dance
team and track). We also lost needed
supplies, repairs, student insurance,
outdoor education, an aide in Special
Education, etc. We also lost funding
for school lunches. Lunches will now
cost my four children $2.85 a day.
If this amended budget meets
defeat on September 15, we will lose
much more. Other possibilities are a
shortened school year, loss of home to
school transportation, loss of all
extra-curricular activities, etc. Please
don’t do this!
The government is taking away
state and federal monies and putting
control of our schools in the local
people’s
hands.
It
is
your
responsibility to see that our future
leaders and voters have a well
rounded education.
Don’t Mess It Up!
I want my children to have the best
possible education for their future
needs and lives.
Vote Yes
Ilene Grady
Vernonia