Thank You And Imagine.

Imagine the Marietta area without Interstate Route 77. Think of the lack of commerce. Ponder driving to Cleveland on Route 821. To get to Florida you have to go somewhere else to start.
When I came to Marietta a generation and a half ago it was hard to live a day without hearing about S. Durward Hoag and his wonderful accomplishment; getting Route 77 to come through Marietta. Original plans called for it to be near Athens. His tireless work let fortune smile on Marietta.
Thank you Mr. Hoag for your vision and effort. Hope and promise arrived on this new highway.
Time to say thank you to a few more folks who worked for our future. There is an email list of nearly 50 names of people directly associated with the School Bond Committee. None of them seek nor would be happy with any public thank you. Their efforts have been yeoman like for many months.
More thanks to the many folks whose names are not on that list but helped in so many ways to deliver the message of what our future can be with new facilities. People who distributed yard signs, door hangers, information brochures, Journey Maps. People who put signs in their yards, talked to neighbors, asked questions and got answers. TV endorsers, ad writers, producers. Cash contributors to the campaign. An endless list.
Thanks to the local craftsmen who helped in many ways with the effort to get the message out. Even more thanks for their favorable Project Labor Agreement that would save us countless dollars as the work proceeded. A minimum of 80% of the workers would be local folks who would pump those income dollars back into the economy generating our own local job stimulus program. And brought $31 million of our own money back from Columbus.
Thanks to many individuals who put talent and time into generating the Journey Map that examines our district today in great detail and lays out a map to take us to the future our community deserves. Never has there been a more comprehensive vision for education in Marietta.
Three years ago your board was looking at a familiar picture. A 5 year forecast that showed us running out of money in 3 years. We were on the cycle of frustration caused by the unconstitutional funding of education in Ohio. That hasn’t changed.
That cycle stifles hope promise and vision for districts across Ohio. It locks us into perpetuating mediocrity and continually asking voters for more funds. Three years ago we would not have been eligible for the tobacco money. Those are the funds that would have been brought here as the state’s share of the project. They will soon disappear.
Nearly two years ago the dream of updated education facilities and a new Marietta future began to formulate. Today the voters have spoken. Not so fast was the message. Not now. Make do with what we have. And we will.
Marietta without Route 77 would not be what she is today. And the Marietta of tomorrow will not be nearly as prosperous without updating our educational facilities. At some point it will have to happen. Until then, we will continue to provide the best education opportunities in our existing facilities.
We are still stuck on the cycle of frustration with the sate funding formula. Buildings would not change that even with the projected savings. But they would help.
The only way to know what the public wants is to ask. Many thanks to those who gave us the opportunity to ask the voters what they want.