From: John M. Burnett
Columbus
I am writing today, on behalf of the Community Education Coalition, to publicly endorse the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation’s referendum to increase teacher and support staff salaries and improve student safety.
During the pandemic, we are seeing the unique mission and responsibility that BCSC has taken on in service to students and the community, from food distribution through-out the year, including the summer, to providing one-to-one computing devices to each student, including throughout the summer this year given the pandemic that is upon our community.
Mental health services are now offered to students in each school, and have continued to be offered to students during the pandemic. This particular topic of mental health is one that many people may not connect to schools, but social and emotional well-being for children and young people is so critically important, and it is an increasing need in our community. BCSC has stepped up alongside the community to provide mental health services during the school day. There are over 500 children receiving mental health support services.
I do recognize that the pandemic is causing unprecedented challenges for our community. At the same time, this referendum will not affect property taxes until May 2021. The referendum is the only mechanism that can bring much needed additional resources to the district for teachers and staff.
There are fewer people choosing the teaching profession, and the teacher turnover rate is increasing because well-trained teachers can, and in some instances, do go to a higher-paying district, or more and more frequently decide to take their knowledge and skills and apply them in other professions.
Our community has, for generations, been able to attract and retain teaching talent because of the outstanding quality of life that has been developed in our community. Historically, BCSC was also viewed as one of the best places for teachers to earn a competitive income in the state. The referendum is intended to improve the competitiveness of the district to attract and retain talent, while ensuring a safe environment.
School funding formulas are complex, and challenging to explain. It is our experience, as a nearly 25-year partner of the district, that the school corporation’s board and administration work very hard to ensure that investment of our community’s tax dollars is well-invested in teaching, learning, and safety.
Additionally, our organization has raised and invested millions of dollars through our private sector, state-level, and philanthropic partners in service to the district’s students. The district has invested and cared for these dollars in an excellent manner.
We encourage every person of voting age to study the information provided by the school district, to ask questions, to gain a deep understanding of what is at stake, and then vote in favor of the referendum.
It is not an understatement, in our opinion, that the future of our community is at a pivotal time, both educationally and economically. Please vote ‘Yes’ for BCSC.
