Community Chimes In Before Tuesday's Big Vote

Vote yes on Feb. 22

I am writing this letter to encourage the residents of the Saline Area Schools district to vote “yes” on the bond extension proposal on the ballot this Tuesday, Feb. 22.  There are several reasons the passage of this bond extension is crucial to the members of our community.

1. The Saline Area Schools have more than $200 million dollars in assets that need to be maintained. Monies generated from this bond extension cannot be used for salaries and/or  classroom instruction. However, lack of funds to pay for necessary maintenance will undoubtedly come from the general operating fund, which will in turn, result in cuts in the classroom and in programs.
2. Gov. Rick Snyder has announced further reductions to the Department of Education for the 2011-2012 school year. As a result, our district’s revenue will be reduced by another $2.5 million dollars.
3.  Saline has one of the lowest millage rates in the county and we have been named in the top 6% of schools in the country by Newsweek magazine. We must remain competitive with our neighboring districts in order to attract newcomers to the area and to maintain our current enrollment. (Of note:  Chelsea, Dexter, Manchester and Milan have all passed similar bond extensions in the past several years.)
4.  Offering top-performing schools and facilities benefits us all. Whether you have children in the school system or not, your home’s value is related to the quality of services the school district provides. Businesses, too, will benefit if Saline continues to be a desirable place to live.
5. Saline Area Schools has taken necessary steps to achieve efficiencies within our district. The school district cut over $2.1 million dollars from its budget last year.  The closure of Houghton School, the sale of Union School, reduction of staff and a 30 percent reduction in energy costs are such examples. The district also saved taxpayers over $11 million dollars in interest with its recent restructuring of existing bonds. This proactive step will eliminate one year’s payments.
6.  Finally, there is no increase in our millage rate should this bond extension pass. Future requests for the same amount of money will cost us more. This is an opportunity that we cannot afford to lose!

The health and stability of our schools is vital and integral to our community’s local economy. Let’s renew our investment! Please join me in supporting Saline Area Schools, your neighborhood and your community by voting “yes” on Tuesday, Feb. 22.

Heidi K. Evans, Saline

We will be voting yes for Saline Schools on Tuesday and we hope you will too. 

The Saline community has invested millions of dollars into top-notch facilities and we feel very strongly that that investment needs to be protected. 

Gov. Snyder’s proposed budget that was just released will decrease state funding to our district by about $2.5 million dollars. These are very tough times. Hopefully there are better times in the not too distant future, but for now we need to do what we can to get through them. Approving this extension is a prudent way of funding necessary updates to our buildings. Seventy-Five percent of the funding used in this extension will go towards critical needs in all of our facilities. If this extension does not pass, the money needed for our facilities will have to come from the operating budget which would mean more cuts to the classroom and/or extra curricular activities. Any future bond proposal would mean an increase in our tax rate since Saline schools will no longer be eligible for the school loan program. We need to pass this extension now. Strong, quality schools attract and retain families to the community.  

We agree with those who feel that the SEA needs to make concessions. However, the SEA’s contract is not up until June 30, 2012 therefore they are under no obligation to renegotiate their contract until that time. Recently, both the administration and support staff associations gave major concessions when they negotiated their new contract. As we have seen with the recent events in Wisconsin and West Bloomfield, discussions surrounding concessions and teachers unions are increasing in all communities. Negotiations with the SEA regarding their next contract will begin in January. We all need to stay involved and make sure that when the time is right we help our elected school board work with the teacher’s association to make the necessary adjustments. 

Right now, we hope you will join us in voting YES for Saline schools and protect our investment in our community. 

Bill & Shannon Needham, Saline

I am voting yes on Tuesday for one reason. That reason is to help continue the vision of excellence that is Saline Area Schools. As a good friend of mine taught me, "It is our responsibility to plant shade trees, even though we might not be alive to sit in their shade."

My support of this bond is done in honor and respect for those who had such forethought and came before me, such as our dear friend and SAS supporter, Woody Merchant. Woody always stood for what was best for our schools and our students - not just now, but also looking to the future. My goal is to continue that tradition. I hope you will join me at the polls on Tuesday.

Kimberly W. Van Hoek, Saline

I would like to urge everyone who moved to Saline for the schools to remember that fact and vote on the Feb. 22 bond extension. We came here for the fantastic, dedicated teachers, we came here for the shiny new high school, and we came here for the first-rate programs and high test scores. We knew when we moved here that great schools cost money and in order to maintain the integrity of what we came here for, we need to vote yes on the bond extension.

Without technology upgrades, facilities maintenance and safer, newer buses will our children still get an excellent education? Maybe, but why risk those intangibles; those things that make Saline Schools rise above excellent to exceptional? Will the enthusiastic new kindergarten teacher still be there next year?  Will our children still have 15 AP classes available when they reach high school?

Teachers may be laid off and course offerings may suffer, when SAS is required to pay for unfunded mandates out of the general fund. The federal and state governments require that we have a compliant bus wash system, they don’t really care how many AP classes we offer. I care how many AP classes we offer, I care that the best teachers stay in Saline and I care that all of the items included in the extension can be paid for without my taxes increasing.

Please join me in voting yes on Feb. 22. We can pass the extension now with no tax increase and maintain the exemplary school system which we have come to expect.

Patti Tanner, Saline

My name is Julie Helber and I am the assistant superintendent of Milan Area Schools. The community in the Milan Area School district passed a bond extension in February of 2009. The passage of the bond extension has allowed the district to upgrade the three oldest buildings in the district.

The upgrades included new windows, doors, flooring, HVAC systems, lockers, furniture, and the list goes on… These upgrades will not only save energy costs but will help sustain safe and up-to-date buildings for our students for many years to come. In addition to the building upgrades we will build a new bus garage, upgrade our athletic facilities, build a new outdoor athletic building, and add a new addition to the high school. All of our technology has been or will be upgraded in the next year with the latest in whiteboard technology, Elmo technology, sound field amplification systems, netbooks, iPads and the newest technology tools that are out on the market.

Without the passage of the bond extension our buildings would have been in disrepair, we would have continued to pay high-energy costs because of inefficiencies in old and outdated systems and the weak exterior envelope on the buildings would have needed to be repaired with general fund dollars. These costs would have diminished funds set aside for innovative programming needs. Without the bond extension we would not be able to provide our students in Milan with the safest possible environment to learn and work in the 21 Century.

I am so proud of the Milan community for supporting the bond extension two years ago and hope that the Saline community will follow suit. As a parent of three Saline School District students, I want my children to learn in a safe building appropriate for 21^st Century student needs. This bond extension will relieve the general fund by reducing the amount of money necessary for repairs and upgrades to the current buildings. This will allow the Saline school district to put money into new and innovative programming needs that will benefit our students. I encourage you to support the bond extension on Feb. 22, 2011.    

Julie Helber, Saline

Dear Saline Area School District Voters,

 I ask that all registered voters in the Saline Area School District evaluate objectively the challenges and opportunities our District faces … and go to the polls on Tuesday and make a stand to protect our investment, assure the continuation of our academic excellence, and grant the resources to “control what we can control” at our local level by voting yes! 

Due to declining property values alone, our school district revenues have declined by over 4 percent in the last two years. That may not sound like much, but when you consider that of our  $51 million budget, over 80 percent goes to salaries and benefits, then add in rising utility costs we have a formidable challenge. Strip out the ‘fixed costs’ (contract salaries & benefits, utilities, etc), or more than 80 percent of the budget, it leaves less than $10 million to fund the infrastructure and basic educational tools. Therefore, a $2.5 million reduction actually equates to an almost 25 percent reduction in available indirect working capital! But, we have a fiscally responsible opportunity to manage these challenges! Vote yes to extend the Bond!

Additionally, with the risks of state funding reductions, there stands the potential that without responsible actions, our education base in Saline is even further at risk! But, we can control and manage what we can at our local level.

By APPROVING the Bond, we …

1)    Protect our outstanding Bond Rating by the rating agencies, Moody’s and Standard & Poors.

2)    Cap our tax millage rate at seven percent for many years ahead. Failure to approve the Bond suggests that if future additional funding is needed as we weather through this economy, we would not be as fortunate to secure favorable Bond rates, as we expect the cost of money/inflation to increase over the next several years. We can ‘lock’ our rates today!

3)    Provide the necessary capital to safely, properly, and efficiently maintain the buildings and technology that are the foundation of our educational system.

4)    Implement significant cost reduction efforts through improved technology, energy efficiency, and eco-friendly investments. 

5)    Assure safe, reliable transportation for our students. We have the oldest bus fleet in the area.

6)    Assure that every dollar yielded will be exclusively used for infrastructure. Not one dollar can be used for salaries or benefits of any employee group! Those will be dealt with as category issues later.

Despite that our community faces these challenges, we are seeing some bright spots that should encourage us to continue to assure a focused vision and execution of plans for success in our District. A Manchester-based company is moving more than 15 families from Colorado to their operation, and I know of at least 5 that chose Saline as their next home.  Also, in my sub alone, there are now 10 new homes completed or under construction since July of 2010, of which eight are pre-sold. This is great news for our community! Passing the Bond Extension helps to keep alive and vibrant this momentum and recognition of the quality and value of our District!

There are many more reasons to approve this measure and we hope that every voter takes this challenge and opportunity with wisdom that it is the right thing to do for today and tomorrow.

Remember, we can manage many of the most important issues facing us at our local level and by voting yes, it provides us the ability to do for Saline what is in our best interests!

Thank you,

Paul Borger, Saline

Saline Area Schools proposal for the extension of bonds from 2025-2031 is the right move for our community. The extension does not raise our millage rate and provides $22 million of critical investment for our schools. As a community we need to continue to keep Saline Area Schools as a leader in achievement. These funds will make it possible to continue to maintain our school’s infrastructure, buses, technology improvements, and energy efficiency. Please vote on Tuesday, Feb. 22 to support our schools as I vote yes.

Sincerely,

Steve O’Keefe, Saline

For the future of our district’s children and the welfare of our local economy, we will be voting yes on the district bond renewal on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011.

Saline has one of the oldest bus fleets in the county with 80% of the busses over ten years of age.  Secure entry points at each building is another critical issue. We need to keep money in the general fund for classroom education and not use it to maintain our infrastructure as required for busses and entries.

We all know people move to Saline because of our excellent school system helping every landowner.

The passage of this bond will support these and our reason to vote “yes” on Tuesday.

Jim and Cheryl Hoeft, Saline

The residents of the Saline Community School District have a very important decision to make on Tuesday. The decision is whether or not to continue the investments, that the majority of us committed to with the passage of prior bond proposals. Given the draconian cuts proposed by the Governor to K-12 education, the passage of the bond extension becomes more paramount.  

Contrary to what some residents and non-residents would have you believe the years have taken their toll on our District's infrastructure.

The passage of the bond proposal will not result in an increase in the current millage rate but extend it. The dollars generated will allow the community to continue to be proud of what we have collectively provided for our children, nieces, nephews, and grandchildren. The school board, as tax paying members of the community, did not vote unanimously to place this issue on the ballot without due deliberation. Its passage will help alleviate some of the pain that will be felt by all because of the potential actions of our state government.

David Friese, Saline

The latest word from Lansing about funding K-12 schools made me realize just how imperative it is that we pass the bond issue this Tuesday.  

Anyone who thinks that the district can simply cut labor expenses in order to provide safe buildings with access to 21st century learning environments simply does not see reality.

Operational expenses will have to be reduced,  but the "savings" will be nullified by the serious reductions in funding coming from Lansing - no funds will be available for the infrastructure projects that are necessary to protect our investment of over $200 million dollars in district assets. The refrain of “We can’t afford it!” from the “No” voters sure sounds nice, but they have offered no solutions.  From their web-site “We believe there are better ways to keep our standards high than by incurring the seemingly easy fix of going into more debt.”

What are those better ways? One member suggested at a board meeting that if we couldn’t afford new buses, then we should just “eliminate transportation." There was no explanation how every Saline student would get to school each and every day. The refrain of “I’ll vote  ’no’ until the the SEA comes to the table” again offers no solution – just an unrealistic view that all the projects that need to be done can be found by reducing employee costs.  Yes, those costs need to be re-negotiated, and I thank all those who have given so much to Saline Schools, but with unstable funding from Lansing, it will be at best a net increase of zero. I urge everyone to vote “yes” on Tuesday.

Paul Hynek, Saline

I write to urge Saline voters to approve the bond extension proposal that is on the ballot. As many of you know, I served on the Board of Education for 12 years and recently ran for the Board again. One of my continuing concerns has been the diversion of funds from investment in buildings, grounds, maintenance, buses, equipment, and other non-personnel needs that are so vital to our children's education.

When I was first elected to the Board, we regularly purchased new buses every year from the general fund and also protected a "fund balance" as a safety net. Over time, we started refurbishing buses instead of buying new ones. We consumed our fund balance to pay for current needs and then just hoped that we would not need a substantial "emergency fund" to pay for unexpected expenses. We deferred as much maintenance as possible and put the purchase of computers for students on the "nice to have" list instead of the "need to have" list.

This is not wise management. In fact, this approach has come to bite us as school financing has moved from property taxes to sale taxes and other sources of revenue which have plummeted with Michigan's economy. Meanwhile, the United States is slipping educationally when compared to other countries, and that hurts us all—whether we are parents, students, employers, employees, or retirees. Our schools and our students are literally our future, and they are the one investment that will always "pay off." In the end, there is a cost to slipping behind, and we are paying that cost now as a nation.

I'm a firm believer in that adage: "Pay me now or pay me later." Fortunately, we have a superintendent who is concerned about our infrastructure and wise about our school budget. He has made a recommendation to extend the bond issue for a few years so that we will have safe and adequate buildings, safe and functional buses, and equipment that students who are trying to "race to the top" certainly need.
I don't like paying taxes any more than anyone else does. What I like even less is hearing that the United States is losing ground as an educated nation. I urge you to vote for the bond extension and to participate as much as you can in supporting and improving our local schools.

Marian L Faupel, Saline

Editor's Note: In my on the Saline Bond Issue Thursday, I issued a call for letters from the community. Invites were also made to the Foundation for Saline Area Schools and from the people running the We Can't Afford It Campaign. We extended our deadline for this feature from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m Sunday., but letters from "Vote no" side did not arrive. Of course, we always welcome commincation in our comments section, too.