Oak Park schools need your vote

Earlier this year the Oak Park Unified School District released encouraging results from a survey that asked residents how they feel about renewing the district's $197 a year parcel tax that expires in 2009. About 80 percent of those surveyed said they would support an extension of the tax, which generates about $1 million a year for school programs and teacher salaries.

Now's the time for those survey respondents to put actions into words. On June 3, Oak Park residents go to the polls to vote on Measure C, which renews the original 2004 tax for eight more years. Local school districts can no longer count on state funding to keep budgets in tact. Voter largesse appears to be the only solution.

The funding has helped retain quality teachers, avoid class size increases, provide up-to-date instructional materials and preserve important academic programs. Seniors over the age of 65 are exempt from the tax.

The Acorn recommends passage of Measure C, which is not a new tax, but merely an extension of a tax already in existence.

The school board also is considering another try at a bond measure to help renew aging classrooms and decrepit infrastructure. In 2006, voters turned down a pair of bond measures worth more than $70 million each because of the feeling that the district was overshooting its mark. Because the district was no longer growing, the old war cry of crowded classrooms rang shallow, voters said.

But even if growth is finished, school buildings and parking lots still get old, roofs become leaky and air conditioning units begin to break down. Declining enrollment obviates the need for new facilities, but old ones still need repairs. And having fewer students also means the school district is receiving less in per pupil funding from the state. Replacement funds won't be forthcoming unless proud parents dig into their own pockets.

A new bond- this time in the more appropriate $20-$25 million range- is the perfect solution. It will be devoid of unnecessary frills and targeted to meet the school district's immediate needs. Oak Park schools aren't the shiny gems we remember them to be and it's important to do something about it before the repairs get out of hand.

The Acorn supports a responsible bond measure in November, but first things first. This Tuesday, we encourage Oak Park residents to go to the polls and approve the passage of Measure C, the parcel tax extension. It's the first step in a two-prong ballot effort this year to put Oak Park schools back on sound financial footing.

With the state abrogating its responsibility toward schools, taxpayers will have to come to the rescue.