School funding-- How is my school affected?

I hear it all the time: “Why should we pay more taxes?” or, “Why does my child have to sit under a leaking roof?” Teachers complain, parents complain. Obviously, the problems Bucyrus High School has with school funding are affecting the entire atmosphere and harmony of our community.

When I came to Bucyrus High School as a freshman, I was gung-ho and ready to achieve, eagerly anticipating four years of challenge and opportunity. ‘Learn & Grow’ was my motto; I expected to further my education as much as possible while developing my personality. However, when I arrived at BHS, I found myself jaw-dropped and dumbfounded. The gym equipment I attempted to use was far from efficient, the library lacked classic literature, and--shock!--the roof leaked! So much for a stimulating, opportunity-rich atmosphere. Bucyrus High School simply did not offer the resources and opportunities I feel are necessary to learn at an excelled level. Quite the contrary, distractions at the high school were overwhelming; it seemed as though everyone found something to complain about, but not fix--including the school funding issue. Feeling oddly defeated, I told myself that I could make do. But do I really want to only ‘make do?’ I ended my freshman year with mediocre grades and a completely unsatisfied attitude towards my school. Finding myself in good company, my peers and I stayed in the background, looking on, as parents and teachers hissed and moaned, but found no resolution.

During the summer of 2005, the teachers at Bucyrus High School threatened a strike if their salaries were not raised. Local newspaper headlines fired up the air in the community, and “the nerves of the townspeople [rang] with nervousness,” as John Steinbeck wrote in his novel The Pearl. The storm raged on and the city of Bucyrus worried and wondered. However, despite all complaints of the school’s financial instability, when the time came to pass the school levy, votes fell short again. Beginning my sophomore year with new hope and motivation was nearly impossible, as now my teachers had arrived at their last resort. How can students be excited to learn and excel when even their teachers are not? Once again, I could just ‘get by’ with the opportunities available, but I would rather do so much more! This is not a healthy environment to learn or live in, and both my attitude and my stamina feel the affects.

Of the many complaints I hear, a prominent one is of the unfair system of taxing. Common opinion condemns financially comfortable districts for apparently receiving more funds than those financially challenged. In complaint over this issue, however, the labels ‘rich’ and ‘poor’ are not accepted warmly, causing a rift, a sort of No Man’s Land between the two groups. This hostility transfers from parents to students, who begin to incorporate financial situations into the already abundant turmoil and desperate censuring at school. “Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble” (Shakespeare’s MacBeth). I feel definite animosity as a result of what should be a simple matter of passing a school levy. Instead, it has turned into a shout-and-pout merry-go-round, though not so merry, and with students’ futures at stake. I suggest it stop, or at least slow down.

At sixteen, I don’t know much about paying taxes. What I do know, is that everyone plays Henny Penny and complains as if the sky were falling; the blame, naturally, is placed with the others involved: the community blames the schools, the schools blame the community, while the legislatures blame both. I feel as if I’m at a circus, expecting a show; instead, the clowns and ringleader argue over how to conduct the performance. Students like me want the turmoil to end, so that we, as well as our parents and teachers, can redirect our attention to what’s important, namely education.

Julez Bilowich

10^th grade
Bucyrus High School