More about the levy
Posted By J.T. on May 31, 2009
From the Cass County Democrat-Missourian:
Supporters and opponents of the proposed R-9 tax levy increase aren’t finished having their say
Mark Webber
Armed with supporting results from academic studies, an organized publicity committee and a challenge to the assessment figures provided by Cass County Assessor Bob Huston, Harrisonville R-9 School District representatives have shifted into high gear promoting the 55-cent tax levy increase earmarked to build a new $14.5 million Early Childhood Center.
To that end, R-9 superintendant Doug Van Zyl, director of communications and community relations Jill Filer and the support group, “Building for the Future,” are going full bore generating publicity and taking on anyone who says the timing for such a project is wrong or it is little more than a cloaked, taxpayer-funded exercise in entitlements.
Filer said recently added to the school district Web site were conclusions of various studies titled, “The Impact of Early Childhood Education,” from the National Institute for Early Education Research Web site, www.nieer.org.
Academic evidence supporting ECCs appears to focus primarily on three contributions. The first, titled “Preschool Programs can Boost School Readiness,” state “measured skills of 3,500 incoming kindergartners in Tulsa, Okla., finding that those who had been enrolled in the state’s preschool for all program had better reading, math and writing skills than those who spent time in federally funded Head Start programs or attended no public preschool program.”
The study claims “Tulsa’s state-funded pre-K program boosted children’s pre-reading skills nine months ahead of other kids’, pre-writing skills eight months ahead and pre-math skills five months.”
The second contribution addresses economic benefits of “quality preschool education” for 3- and 4-year-olds.
According to this Chicago Child Parent Center study, “at age 20, participants were more likely to have finished high school than children who weren’t in the program. They were also less likely to have been held back in school, less likely to have needed remedial help and less likely to have been arrested.”
The third contribution, a report on the “New Mexico PreK Initiative on Young Children’s School Readiness,” points readers to findings showing children making “gains in vocabulary that were 54 percent greater than the gains of children without the program … gains in math skills by 40 percent … a 26 percent increase in growth in print awareness.”
Cass County Treasurer Steve Cheslik, who opposes the levy increase and whose children do not attend R-9 schools, did not debate the efficacy of the published studies, but still disagreed with the need for a tax levy increase.
“I think that’s perfectly fine if that’s what the data shows, that the studies show (ECC) programs are advantageous for children,” he said. It is his contention, however, “that parents who want it should pay for it. My concern is, why should everybody be asked to pay for that? That is my main concern,” Cheslik said.
When asked if he could offer an alternative, Cheslik first referred to his letter to the editor in this week’s Democrat Missourian. “I don’t know there needs to be an alternative. What has worked for years is fine. If parents decide their kids would benefit from preschool education that is great, but don’t ask your neighbor to pay for it.”
Cheslik agreed with other opposing forces labeling the project an entitlement program. He said the risk exists of another tax-supported program everybody pays for and then becomes an expectation that becomes unappreciated. “Your next door neighbor is paying for it, not the state or the school district, I’m clearly against it,” he concluded.
Part of the chorus singing in support of the tax levy increase is the Building for the Future committee, a name featured prominently on area yard signs competing for voter attention with the No New Levy opposition campaign.
When asked to summarize why a new ECC is necessary in the school district committee co-chair Tom Spencer replied, “We seem to turn away the part of our population who need to get their kids into preschool.” Spencer said a new ECC will also open a larger and safer learning environment to children.
Spencer added the committee’s support is not an endorsement to compete with existing businesses that provide day care, but view a new ECC as an ideal means “to provide an affordable foundation to at-risk kids.”
As for points made by opposing factions, Spencer said they “haven’t said anything false. I just don’t think they’re painting an accurate picture, necessarily,” referring to the assessed property values example provided by Huston in last week’s story.
Asked how Building for the Future justifies a tax increase to voters, Spencer answered, “This is for children. What we’re doing is trying to better our community. Nobody wants a tax increase right now. Times are tough for everybody, but when it comes to children we need to take care of them and provide a window of opportunity to give them a good, strong foundation. If we focus on education and not turning kids away, there are just some things we have to pay taxes for.”
Van Zyl offered final thoughts saying, “This issue is about doing what is best for kids. I know taxes and assessed value can be confusing, but doing what is right for kids is crystal clear. We have a definite need in the area of early childhood education. We have waiting lists and a sub-standard facility for our youngest students. We know that preschool provides a solid foundation to ensure our students’ success in school. I would just ask that everyone look at the information, see the short- and long-term benefits this issue holds for kids and our community, and then vote what they believe is right for the kids.”
For daily school district updates on the issue, visit www.harrisonvilleschools.org/aroundthedistrict9.htm.
To read opposing points of view, visit www.nonewlevy.com.
Building for the Future has no Web site. The vote on the 55-cent tax levy increase is on the June 2 ballot.
mwebber@demo-mo.com
Public education is NOT an entitlement any more than roads and bridges are. The party of NO has decided the status quo is just fine and as a result Harrisonville will not grow or change. Look around your courthouse - we need mom and pop shops; mainstream bookstores, crafts, galleries, antiques, hardware, and I would love to buy a pair of shoes that didn’t come from China. The only way to grow is to think outside the box. With great ideas like an early childhood center that would attract young families and great teachers to the area, I hold hope that Harrisonville and, indeed Cass County can prosper. The whole Republican party in the State of Missouri is regressive and I am sad to see the ideology has settled hard on our leadership here.
Clearly, Bella just doesn’t get it. The party of “NO” as she has labeled us is probably more concerned with community growth than she (gender assumed by the name “Bella” only) is. While she may be correct that a new ECC with free pre-school for all and taxpayer subsidized before-and-after school day care services may attract some young families to the area, the growth this will create will be offset multiple times over by the fact that we will have the 18th highest school tax rate in the state (out of 525 districts). And, let’s be realistic here, If Bella and the party of “YES” want more small businesses in town as she indicated, does it really make sense that we should RAISE taxes to the top 5th percentile in the state to try to lure them to Harrisonville? Clearly Bella, while well meaning I am sure, has a fundamental misunderstanding of economics.
Regardless of ones position on the levy issue, I don’t think any reasonable person believes higher taxes will bring more businesses to town. I do, however, believe that most people agree that free pre-school and taxpayer subsidized day care will drive certain business OUT of our community. It’s awfully tough for private day-care and pre-school providers to compete with the government, at least on a price-point.
I too hold hope that Harrisonville and, indeed Cass County can prosper despite the ideology espoused by Bella and others who think we should stop by the school with our newborns to drop them off and pick them up on graduation day, letting our friends and neighbors foot the bill for the entire thing, soup-to-nuts.
And finally, consider this: Is it really appropriate for our School District to be conducting a political campaign with taxpayer money? Or, is it appropriate to have several of the Administration officials working with a Campaign Committee that refused to follow state law and disclose their funding sources?
The District has readily stated that it has received support from the architectural firm which is designing this $14.5 million dollar project. And, while they are now trying desperately to distance them from the “Building For Our Future” campaign committee which hasn’t filed a single required report with the Cass County Clerk to show their funding sources these same Administration officials have been actively providing guidance and support to this committee. Kind of frightening that not one of them has ever even spoken up at a committee meeting and said “Hey guys, you should really try to obey the law here. It’s what we expect of our students so we as a committee should at least meet that as a minimum standard.”
Is that really the kind of behavior we want our educators demonstrating to our children in a free society?
The debate over this will grow over time. Tossing out partisan labels does nothing to get to the heart of the issues.
Looking back, the timing of the proposal could not have been worse with public sentiments in a unsettled state and more and more dissillusionment caused by politics at the state and federal level. People have been lied to and misled at every level by every politician on the stump. The feelings of hope and change have become feelings of fear, uncertainty and loss.
Additionally, people have a memory. The current desire to bring Harrisonville Schools into the fold of cradle to grave government provided everything must have been lost in the desire to build a worldclass high school football field at huge expense. Maybe we didn’t really care at that time about Early Childood Centers and the like. I would suggest the board go have some quiet time at the 50 yard line and ponder the implications of that use of tax money. Day care and latchkey programs are expensive and it seems the taxpayer has said focus on your mission and let parents parent.
As this election unfolded it seemed that it was and is no different that what we are seeing daily from the new federal administration. The promise of change for the better has become change that no one really expected. The school couldn’t keep the cost story straight any more than we see from the Obama administration telling the truth or staying with what was promised.
The message should be a positive one. Maybe the voter public has started to wake up. We were sold a bill of goods last Novemeber that we may well regret for the next generation. All politics is local some wise man once said. We have been lied to enough.
If we are fortunate enough to have been awakened, we may well see a turning out of the old guard. We really cannot believe that Ike Skelton is doing the work of the people in this district can we? He voted for every issue that the Pelosi, Reid, and Obama team has asked for. And we know he didn’t read the stimulus bill. Its time to give Ike a pat on the back, a hearty thanks for all his service and a one way ticket back home.
The Change people may want has yet to be seen. But yesterdays vote makes me feel somewhat hopefull. Its time for all of us, party politics and name calling tossed aside. If the politicians won’t say no, the voters have to.