Hillsborough County Parents Urge Voters to "Strengthen Our Schools" by Saying Yes to Referendum No. 3
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla., Oct. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- From town hall meetings, PTA gatherings, yard signs and social media posts, the parents of Hillsborough County School students and residents alike are doing their part by educating others about the positive impact Referendum No. 3 would have on our community. This year's ballot is long, and Hillsborough Referendum No. 3 is located at the very bottom.
Hillsborough Referendum No. 3 is a 10-year investment for all public schools in Hillsborough County. The education referendum will support capital improvements for schools, including AC repairs, enhanced technology access, increased safety measures for both students and teachers, improved bus transportation efficiency, prevention of school overcrowding and safer shelters to anyone in need during hurricane evacuations.
Hillsborough County parent Jon Locklear said, "I know there are schools that need new roofs, there are schools that need ACs repaired or replaced, we have an issue where our population is growing, and we need to build new schools. Our hope as parents is that the students of this county are in schools where they have the best opportunity to grow and learn and a big part of that is schools being maintained."
Physician and parent Dr. Anne Lenz also took to social media with a post explaining, "This is a bipartisan issue. Funding public education is one of the few constitutional requirements of our state legislature and they have failed to adequately support it. Whether your kids attend public or private schools, or you have no kids at all, this affects you and your community. Communities with better schools and more education have lower crime, more industry and higher property values. When we invest in our children, we invest in our communities as a whole. Get the facts and be informed. Our district is in a crisis. To advocate for Referendum No. 3, consider giving to Support Our Schools!"
Sherry Gunn has children in the Hillsborough County Public School System and says, "There's not a day that goes by when they don't come home mentioning a class doesn't have AC or they can't all go to the computer lab together because they aren't enough computers to accommodate all the students. For this county, this district and these children to grow and for these teachers to have a better working environment, we need this!"
Roosevelt Elementary School mother of three and veteran educator, Sarah Karlo, has a passion for education and the public school system. Like many concerned parents that have children in the system, she wants all voters to understand why Referendum No. 3 is so important, for everyone, even people without children.
Posting on Facebook earlier this week, Karlo stated, "You all know education is my passion and purpose. After spending the last few months attending meetings to inform myself about Referendum No. 3, my very deliberate vote is YES! Whether your child is in public or private school, this referendum will benefit our community and economy. It is the last item on this long ballot, so vote backwards and check YES! And thank you for exercising your right to vote!"
According to Strengthen Our Schools (SOS), there are many misconceptions that the Hillsborough County School District has enough funds, they just mismanage them --- which is simply not true. Florida spends about $8,800 for each of 2.7 million students enrolled in public schools, ranking the Sunshine State among the lowest in the country. According to researchers, Florida is 42nd in US for per pupil funding and $5,000 dollars less per student than average.
At one of the latest town hall meetings hosted by Hillsborough County Superintendent Jeff Eakins, he explained in detail how the district has cut back on expenditures the past three years and has gotten the budget as lean as it can be. The budget is now balanced but lacking funds for infrastructure needs. Additionally, our County is growing and as a result the demands on the Hillsborough County School District continues to expand. Funding is needed to keep up with building needs to accommodate all the new students.
SOS also pointed out that a six-person citizen oversight committee will be chaired by former Florida Education Commissioner Betty Castor and Vice-chaired by Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister. Other committee members will be former Hillsborough Schools Superintendent Earl Leonard, former Hillsborough Community College CFO Bonnie Carr, former Florida Legislator Ed Narain, and local business leader Jose Valiente. The volunteer group will police spending on school improvement projects that will be funded if the referendum passes on November 6.
Grady Elementary Principal/Administrator Kristine Dosal said, "This referendum is very, very important to the schools. This year alone, my AC in the cafeteria has broken down three times. The district responds immediately, which I so appreciate, but we are an older school; we must care about the schools. Great schools make for a great community and that's just how it works. Please, we need people to come out and vote!"
For more information about Strengthen Our Schools (SOS) and Hillsborough County's Referendum No. 3, please visit the website at https://voteyes2sos.com.
SOURCE Strengthen Our Schools
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