Residents of the Albert Lea school district face a crucial decision in early November.

Friday, September 28, 2001

Residents of the Albert Lea school district face a crucial decision in early November. Albert Lea Area Schools say they need an excess levy referendum to avoid cutting programs next year, and it’s up to voters to decide.

It’s clearly an issue in which we all have a stake – whether we’ve got kids in public schools or not. Public education has become a crucial aspect of our quality of life, and its benefits are not limited to those families who directly use the school’s services.

Because the issue is so important, it behooves each and every resident of the school district to study the facts closely – and to separate truth from fiction and rumor.

The truth, in this situation, is that many of the arguments you’ll hear against the referendum have nothing to do with the issue at hand.

For instance, the bond referendum that paid for the new high school has been, and will continue to be, brought up – apparently intended as evidence that we’ve given much to our school district already. While it is true the community has sacrificed to build the new school, that does nothing to eradicate the district’s financial troubles, which are borne of declining enrollment and state funding levels.

The money the district used to build the new high school has been spent; the school is built, and the money is gone. Even if there were some money left over, it would be illegal for the school to use it to pay teachers, buy books or fund extra-curricular activities. Voters approved the money for buiding purposes, and that’s what it had to be used for.

This year’s levy, on the other hand, must be spent on operating expenses like teacher salaries, supplies and the like. Those expenses are typically paid largely through state aid, which is based on the number of students in the school. Declining enrollment means declining funding.

Many more discussions will be had in the month leading up to the referendum. There will be at least one more public meetiing on the subject, and there will undoubtedly be a wealth of discussion and information in the media. It’s important for all to carefully consider what is at stake and what is really important before making a decision. And it’s crucial for the school district to be open and forthcoming about its situation, so the facts are available to all.

A decision, yes or no, can be noble if it is based on facts. If it’s based on grudges, rumors or innuendo, it’s a disservice to our children and our community.