A 'yes' vote in Dist. 38 is for everyone
A "yes" vote for the Big Hollow School District 38 referendum on Feb. 5 is more than a vote for the schools. It's a vote for the entire Big Hollow community.
Yes, the children are suffering. They are struggling to learn in overcrowded classrooms, since Big Hollow now has the highest average class size in all of Lake County. Projections indicate class sizes could reach the low-to-mid 40s at many grade levels next year if the hiring freeze continues.
Our children are without art and music classes and many are without computer instruction. Beyond that, the community is suffering. In a dismal housing market, our desirability as a place to live --where children can receive a high-quality education, where property values and home sales are going to rebound and where businesses will want to locate -- is sinking fast.
In going out for $10 million in working cash rather than an operational-rate increase to generate revenues, the Big Hollow school board has sent the message that we cannot afford to turn our backs on one penny of state aid, which would decrease with an op-rate increase. The board has also tried to keep the cost to taxpayers as low as possible. For the owner of a $280,000 home, the cost of the $10 million bond will be roughly $32 month after standard deductions and exemptions that most homeowners get.
This is one of those critical junctures where the cost of voting "yes" is negligible compared to the cost of doing nothing. Without passage of the referendum, Big Hollow sinks further into operational deficits and additional cuts are possible. Shortening of the school day was discussed last summer. Plus, the community's stature takes another hit with resulting impacts on property values and future commercial development.
It's clear that all of us who have any stake at all in the Big Hollow community, whether or not we have children in school, have a stake in the passage of the referendum.
Two final thoughts: According to the results of a Big Hollow teacher survey done last fall, $32 a month is actually less than what many Big Hollow teachers are spending out-of-pocket each month to purchase instructional materials for their classrooms and supplement out-of-date curricula. And, if sale of the old Big Hollow campus is finalized, that $5 million alone will not solve the district's financial crisis. This school year alone, even after cuts, Big Hollow is facing an operational deficit of $3 million.
Therefore, I urge my fellow Big Hollow residents to vote "yes" on Feb. 5. Vote "yes" for acceptable class sizes, vote "yes" to restore music, art and computer classes, and vote "yes" to restore the Big Hollow community's longstanding reputation as a quality place to live. Please visit www.supportbighollow.org for more information.
Cathy Ralston Round Lake