We have a lot to consider on our November 8th ballot.
The noise of the presidential election has nearly drowned-out all of the other decisions we have to make. Here in Champaign County, there is the opportunity to choose our U.S Senator, Illinois State Senator and Comptroller, Champaign County Auditor, Coroner, and Recorder. We’re asked if we went to retain certain judges, as well as if we would like to see the state of Illinois legalize marijuana. If that weren’t enough, we also have to decide if we want our taxes to go up. Those decisions come in the form of separate referenda questions, one from the county, and one from the Unit 4 school district.
I want to talk with you about the Unit 4 referendum. It, simply put, is perhaps one of the most important items on the ballot this November. The school district is asking for permission to issue $183,400,000 in School Building Bonds, for the purpose of updating and expanding Central High School, demolishing the Dr. Howard School and building a new, modern version on the same site, and updating and repairing the South Side Elementary, Prep Academy, Edison and Franklin Middle School buildings. It’s a tall order, and one that the price tag for the bonds reflects. It is also, frankly, rather necessary.
The aforementioned projects are past due. For years (decades), the physical structures that comprise the locations within Unit 4 have been in need of some TLC. The district has always had great teachers and students, and they deserve to have buildings that equal their capabilities. Environment matters. Just like most of us wouldn’t want to go to work in a setting that is looking rundown, in need of air conditioning and overall general repair work, we wouldn’t want that for the children of our society. Nor for those dedicated enough to educate them. After years of deferral, often times because of uncertainty over voter support, the board of education has brought forward their latest proposal, and the time has come for us to decide.
Some have said that the price tag for the proposed bonds is steep. It is. There’s no obfuscating the reality of that. It is an ambitious referendum, the third in just two years. The previous two referenda failed, the most recent one by a 70/30 margin. That was with a different location proposed for Central High School, and it was put together by a prior school board. Today’s Unit 4 school board members are almost entirely fresh faces compared to when the last referendum was on the ballot in April 2015. Voters rejected a location on the outskirts of the community for a new high school, instead buoyed by a grass roots campaign of keeping Central High School centrally located.
The current school board listened to what voters had to say. Much of what is featured on November 8th’s referendum is based on feedback from voters, as well as a blue ribbon panel of stakeholders who want to work together and see our local public education system succeed. The Tier Two Committee, as it was called, met over ten times, from February to June, 2016, and formulated a plan that would eventually become the proposal we now have the opportunity vote on. The committee included representatives of the Village of Savoy, City of Champaign, CU-MTD, Unit 4, Champaign Park District, Champaign County Chamber of Commerce, as well as at-large members from the community. Public input was also allowed. The process was about as transparent as they come.
Many people have worked hard to bring this referendum before us. Even now, members of the Unit 4 Board of Education are doing several outreach sessions within the community, in order to make their case for why we should vote ‘yes.’ Teachers and students continue to plug away in these facilities, doing their best under not always optimal conditions. A lot of people want to see this referendum succeed, yours truly among them. Granted, I have a soft spot for Unit 4, being a product of its K-12 educational system, and having fond memories of the teachers and buildings I utilized during the years I attended school here. I want the students of today – and tomorrow – to have just as good of an opportunity, if not better, that I did.
Ultimately, I see this November 8th vote as not just a referendum on school bonds, but a referendum on our community, as well. We rejected Unit 4’s proposal in November 2014. We had our qualms. Fair enough. We then went on to reject their proposal in April 2015. Again, there were issues. That is understood. At some point, however, we have to realize that we will never see a perfect proposal. There comes a time when we have to weigh what is best overall for our schools, our kids, our educators, and our community.
Our public school system is a covenant that we as a civilized society have entered into, wherein we acknowledge that the pursuit of education is of such paramount importance, that we agree to chip in and pay for it. An education is what functions as one of the cornerstones of our civilization. That’s why we’ve agreed there should be a well-funded public education available to all. Yes, our property taxes will go up, and I’m not saying that’s always a good thing. In this case, however, it is. Vote yes on the Unit 4 referendum. Let’s show our civic pride, and make a principled stand to continue to support our public education system. It’s time.