We / They

A local businessman approached me at a social function last week. “Do you mind talking business for a minute?” He asked. Not at all I replied.
He related a conversation he had had with someone who spoke of the intention to build new schools in Marietta. There was total dismay, wonder and lack of belief in this person’s voice. She cited reasons for her concerns.
The economy is not good. People have lost jobs. Jobs are leaving the area. Student population is down. The population is aging, etc.
She finished with a comment that concerned him most and about which he wanted to speak. The comment was, “I just don’t know how they think they can get a bond issue passed to build those schools.”
My conversation with the friend took place Monday evening. Tuesday there was an election. Not a lot of things on the ballot to bring people out. In some places there were literally no issues at all.
But in some places there were very vital issues. Places like Warren School District and Switzerland of Ohio. Districts that, like Marietta, needed support. Needed new funds. Need new buildings. And, like us, have many of the same conditions relating to the economy and jobs.
The real concern is in the way she expressed herself on this issue. The use of the word ‘they’ is what got his attention. As though she was not one of they. As though it is someone else somewhere else who is undertaking to invest in the future of the schools in her district.
It is quite valid that your board and superintendent have not really begun to tell the story about what why and how to build new buildings for your district. The details from the state are still too sketchy to begin giving cost specifics on the construction side.
But those figures are coming together. It would be safe to say at this point the investment in new buildings for the average homeowner will be under one dollar per day per hundred thousand dollars of value. Just how much under awaits finer tuning of the total costs.
You may think of it in many ways. The hot chocolate I picked up at McDonalds Wednesday cost $3.20. The gasoline I purchased Monday cost $2.33 per gallon. The newspaper you are reading cost a dollar.
However you choose to view it the investment in education always pays dividends far beyond the price paid. Generations to come reap the benefits long beyond your immediate returns. It’s not just about the kids, it’s the grandkids and the great grandkids. And your community today.
There are reminders at nearly every board meeting about just how strongly our local citizens value education. Last month we accepted with appreciation a donation of $15,000 from the Phillips PTO for the purchase of smart boards.
While that was not enough to equip every classroom, it was a very big move in that direction. Some creative use of funds may yet add enough so that every room has one of these valuable learning tools.
It has not been long since Harmar School supporters completely rebuilt their playground at considerable expense. And the Athletic Boosters have donated many tens of thousands of dollars to replace the bleachers in Sutton Gymnasium.
These contributions and so many more show that it is not ‘they’ who are doing things but we. As a community we value education and support it by our actions. When the time is right and we understand the needs, ‘We’ seem to do the right things. Just like our neighbors.