To the Editor:
I have long believed that education is a cornerstone of any thriving community and that a strong school system is a key component of any community’s efforts to grow and prosper.
In Bowling Green generations of students have benefited from the efforts of highly skilled and dedicated teachers and staff members who have worked to ensure that our children receive the quality education that they need and deserve.
In recent years there has been much discussion and community interest regarding the condition of Bowling Green City Schools facilities. It is clear to me that the physical condition of our school buildings now requires our attention. If we hope to sustain the positive growth in our community we must, as a community invest in new and modern school buildings.
I have been impressed with the efforts of the board of education and school administrators to facilitate public input in order to understand our facility need. Most importantly, the Board listened to the community. A committee of nearly 100 community members across various constituencies was created. This committee concluded that it was most important to begin to address the facility needs by building a new high school. The result of this recommendation is the bond levy that will appear on the ballot in November. This bond levy is structured as a mix of both property taxes and income tax in an effort to create a funding method that is fair and equitable to everyone on our community, including those outside of the Bowling Green corporate limits.
I believe that this levy request represents an important inflection point in our community. If successful, this new high school will satisfy the physical and space needs for generations of students. A new high school will generate a great deal of pride among students and staff and in the entire community. A new school will make clear our community’s commitment to education and our desire to maintain the standard of excellence established by those who came before us. A new school will support the city’s economic development efforts which are focused on attracting new businesses and retaining existing businesses.
For these reasons, I support the levy request and will vote yes on Nov. 8. I sincerely hope that others in our community will do the same.
Mike Aspacher
Bowling Green mayor
