Challenge yourself to learn about school design and help the district implement great schools. Look at the things that have frustrated you about past school planning, funding, and decision-making, and change them. Designs have been drawn up only to get an idea of options and costs. If you don’t like high ceilings or other details, let it be known. Tell the district what priorities you see. Don’t give the money and run. Give the money and thoughtfully help direct its use.
Public buildings have a life-span of 30-50 years. Our elementary schools have served us for nearly 60. We cannot expect more out of them. If we don’t get busy while times are relatively good (meaning tourists help pay through business property taxes, and our current plethora of second-home owners pay 100 percent on assessed values), we risk going into another downturn with dilapidated infrastructure. Can we really expect these schools to last another 60 years if needed?
Government cannot keep large “savings accounts” with taxpayer dollars. This makes it difficult for agencies to save money, making borrowing (bonds) inevitable. Responsible government puts money into infrastructure. The buildings pay for themselves over and over in quality of life. In the case of schools, future generations get improved education, since better schools attract better teachers (as our current excellent teachers retire, or grow tired of “making-do”), and our children grow up to help diversify our economy and cushion the next economic down cycle.
Also, the longer we wait, the less our dollars will buy. The school district will have no choice but to come back to us again and again if the bond fails this time around. And even just next year, the money will buy far less.
For decades we have had some of the lowest school taxes in the state. Vote Yes on the school bond and then continue to let your voice be heard. We’re right not to give a handout and run. But we’re short-sighted to miss this opportunity. The district needs all of our ideas to make these buildings successful, and to take us into the next several generations.
—Audrey Graham
Moab