OPINION: It is My Turn to Help Ensure the BHS Tradition of Excellent Education Continues
Mistakes have been made, no doubt. But guess what? That's how we learn.
I’m voting YES this time for the Bloomfield Hills Schools bond issue on TUESDAY, MAY 8. This is the right proposal, at the right time. I voted against the two-high-school proposal (2007) because the numbers did add up – neither the enrollment numbers nor the projections. Though the board was well intended, the proposal would have been a mistake; good boards are human, they make mistakes. Having been a trustee of the school district for 10 years (1993-2003), I can safely say that we made some mistakes. All boards do.
For the record, I am also the proud parent of two graduates (classes of 2001, 2004), and a former teacher at Andover High School (2003-2006). I’m now a member of the 80% of citizens who no longer have school-age children. Like many others who have spoken and written, I am grateful for the educational experiences my children enjoyed. Some of the readers of this publication helped fund these school buildings for my kids; now it is my turn to help ensure the continuance of this esteemed tradition.
I do want to make one point, based on my involvement in the school district since 1988. The prospect of one community high school has been part of the district conversation for just about the whole time I have been involved; there have been formal and informal committees for more than 20 years. The reasons were varied, but prudent financial stewardship of the district was the focus after the implementation of Proposal A (1994). We knew that the state had limited our ability to self-fund the education we desired for our kids, and that the sales tax was regressive. Our projections told us then that we would need to re-think having two comprehensive high schools in order to preserve our excellent programs and provide learning choices for kids. In fact the idea of “choices” – the benefits of which are borne out consistently in research on learning – is one of our community’s stated core values.
Mistakes have been made, no doubt. But guess what? Mistakes are how we learn. There is no question that our Superintendent, Rob Glass, has learned a great deal during his short time here, and with input from his administration and staff, our school board, students, and this community, has now crafted the right plan. Please join me at the polls on Tuesday, May 8, as together we choose to support what has always been the hallmark of this community – an exemplary education for our kids, now and into the future.
Mindy Nathan,
Bloomfield Hills
Ken Jackson
9:20 am on Saturday, May 5, 2012
Ms. Nathan,
Thank you for this letter and your vote for future students. I very much appreciate your willingness to put this discussion in both a longer and broader context (Prop A from 1994 that changed everything most of us thought about public education but is only now making its impact felt). The history and state context is critical. Life did not begin with Steve Gaynor and 2007.
M. Belden
9:44 am on Saturday, May 5, 2012
Thank you, Mindy, for stating the reasons to vote YES so eloquently. I, too, am about to join "the 80%" of folks without children in the schools, but I feel very strongly the need to see to it that our future students get the best possible public education here in Bloomfield Hills. Prop. A changed the rules for how we must proceed as a community. We can only tax ourselves for capital expenditures (like buildings), not for day-to-day expenses. Passing the bond will allow us to free up a lot of money that will otherwise be spent trying to keep two buildings which are past their expected useful lifespan operating. The money we save can then be used to maintain the excellent academics we have enjoyed here. A "No" vote is likely to result in the loss of the district's "AAA" bond rating, making any capital improvements more expensive in the future, since we will have to pay more to issue bonds. If the bond fails,Instead of bonding $58 million, the district will be forced to pay $35 million (with no bond) to repair the high schools sufficiently to keep them open. To do that, they will have to spend money currently earmarked for our other buildings, as well as "rainy day" funds - something specifically cited as bad practice by David Littman. We are the only school district in Michigan with that "AAA" rating. Our board and administration are doing their best to be fiscally responsible. We need to do our part by voting "YES" on Tuesday!
Joan Berndt
10:22 am on Saturday, May 5, 2012
Thanks, Mindy and Mary, for your clear and articulate comments. A no vote will adversely affect so many different aspects of our life as a community, not just the future of our students. Please, everyone, get out and vote on Tuesday, and vote YES!