Local option is a sound investment

Local option support for schools is the soundest community investment taxpayers in Sisters Country can make.

Strong, healthy schools are the key engine of economic vitality in the Sisters Country. They attract families and businesses willing to invest in a community that invests in its children and its future. Strong, healthy schools are critical to sustaining property values.

And local option is critical to sustaining strong, healthy schools.

The modest tax, 75 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation ($10.75 per month; $129 a year for an average-value $172,000 home), has a big impact. Our investment stays in the community; it's not funneled off into a black hole in Salem or Washington, D.C. You can go and see what your hard-earned money buys.

The most important thing our local option tax dollars purchase is good student-teacher ratios. Interviewing students in Sisters schools, it becomes clear that each has had invaluable guidance and inspiration from multiple teachers: Teachers who know them and have time to offer the kind of interaction that shapes lives and destinies. That kind of interaction maximizes the potential of strong students and is especially critical for kids who struggle in school, who need extra help.

Without local option, teacher-student interaction is sharply curtailed. Staff is cut; class sizes grow and one-on-one time shrinks. Quality education suffers.

There is room for improvement in Sisters schools. But improvement is only possible with adequate resources; it cannot happen when the district struggles to meet basic needs.

Sisters schools and members of the Sisters community have created many mutually beneficial partnerships, from arts programs created and sustained by the Sisters Folk Festival, to support for outstanding athletics, and educational opportunities provided by the Sisters Science Club.

Local option, too, is a partnership between the school district and the community. It is a partnership that has been successful for more than a decade. It is a low-cost, high-yield investment and a wise choice.

Vote yes on Measure 9-88.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

• Email: editor@nuggetnews.com
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