Schools Deserve
Voter Support
Westerville schools deserve voter support.
Our schools have done more with less money than comparable schools systems.
Westerville spent less per student than
Dublin, Worthington and Hilliard, but still had a comparable graduation rate and similar Ohio performance index scores for
non-disabled students. Westerville scored 94.1, while Dublin, Worthington and Hilliard scored 97.1, 98.1 and 95.8, respectively.
These compare favorably to Ohio's statewide score of 83.1.
Westerville is the largest and most
diverse of these four districts, so these results are even more impressive.
Westerville's performance is now threatened
by the budget cuts. The May school levy failed because residents didn't know of the great job done at our schools or simply
didn't realize the school levy was up for a vote. Results from the November capital 2002 levy and the May 2003 operating levy
show that in many precincts, the "no" votes hardly changed while the "yes" votes dropped dramatically. Voters who usually
support the schools just didn't get to the polls.
Voters need to recognize the great job
the schools and the students are doing and support our schools. We need great schools for great kids.
Jack McManus