05/08/2024
We are going to try and collect as many yard signs as we can to store so please let me know if you have a sign that we can come pick up - and if you are willing to pick up some signs as you are driving through town and consolidate them in your garage and let me know we’ll come get them.
Looking at the broader statewide election results I am confident that this was not a good year to ask people to vote for a levy increase, even though it’s unfortunately what our schools need right now. However in our district I am confident that given better economic conditions - we can use this group to start a grassroots campaign network over the next year to lay the foundation for an organized and robust educational outreach campaign to invite people to learn about how state property tax dollars are distributed to school districts and how the money being requested specifically by the EH district is going to be put to use.
We have all seen some of the questions and comments raised by people who said they would not support the levy and while there are some voters who we may never reach I also think there are a lot of voter who didn’t have enough information or blind trust to vote yes this year but certainly understand that good schools make for better neighborhoods and communities so would consider voting yes with a better understanding of the districts’s needs and confidence that the money is being well managed.
We didn’t have a lot of time to try and coordinate support for this levy request, but I am optimistic that with a dedicated core group committed to seeing the next levy pass, we can reach enough undecided voters to change the next election’s outcome (with the caveat that it isn’t also a year that saw huge property tax increases including a never-seen-before extra May property tax bill that arrived the same week the ballots did). The advantage of living in a small close-knit community is that we don’t have to reach that many people (just reaching 167 people would would have changed the outcome of this year’s election). That’s a very doable campaign target if we commit now to make that happen.
In the meantime, I am saddened to know that our district will likely have to cut staff and electives but I also have complete faith that our district will continue to run schools I am fiercely proud of and truly believe are the best in the State (yes, I’ve got a touch of Vigilante pride behind that statement but I also do believe it wholeheartedly).
