In response to the Athens News' endorsement of the city school tax, I would like to contribute other perspectives on the matter.
First, the city school tax places the burden of putting the city residents' children through school on wage earners in Athens, particularly Ohio University students who do not and never will have their children in the Athens School District.
Second, it makes more sense for a levy to be passed that collects more property taxes to pay for the schools because it is largely property owners who are served by the Athens school system.
Third, OU students are heavily burdened with the rise in tuition, increase in technology and lab fees and rising costs of textbooks and living expenses; we don't need the city school district to come in and pick the remaining crumbs out of our hands.
Having to send roughly a $100 a year to the Athens School District is an insult when many of us have to go thousands of dollars into debt in order to have adequate background to apply for jobs. We pay for our own schooling as OU students, therefore, the parents of Athens City School District need to take up their own responsibility and do the same.
I hope that everyone voting (both students and community members) will take these perspectives into consideration in tandem with the Athens News' rather uncritical endorsement of the city school tax.
Russell Crooks is a graduate student studying rhetoric and composition.
4 Opinion
Letter to the Editor
