From the Desk of the Editor: Referendum Edition

by Saafia Masoom
 

Platteville School District's referendum will fund updates in all our buildings.

    On the day of the Newtown shooting, we walked to our last classes of the day with heavy hearts. We’d just had an assembly to discuss the horrific tragedy, and I’ll never forget the grief that I saw in one particular teacher’s eyes as he told us how brokenhearted he was to know that his kids might not be safe at school.

    There are a lot of reasons to care about the district’s referendum on April 7th, and this is one of them. You can’t put a price on safety in Platteville Schools.

    If this “Blueprint for the Future” doesn’t pass, we’ll deny the next classes to walk PHS’s halls safety, but also the chance to have top-notch science labs. We’re telling the kids at Westview and the middle school that it doesn’t matter that they’re crowded and going to school every day in buildings that are falling apart. It really doesn’t matter that they have gym class in the same space they eat lunch.

    There are a lot of reasons people may say no on April 7th, but I’m asking you to look past the “I won’t even be here, so why should I care?” Let’s look beyond the politics, the volleyball controversies, and the even simple costs that are worth it at the end of the day. (Taxes are not going up with this plan. They’re simply not decreasing like they were supposed to when the 1996 referendum was paid off.) What we’re doing here is defining the direction our district will head in for the next 20 years.

    It’s a common occurrence to hear during passing time that our school “sucks” or is “so lame.” Maybe we can do something about that. We have the capability.

    So rather than harping about consequences, let’s talk possibilities. As mentioned before, the science labs are a major component of the renovations funded by the referendum. Biology teacher Ms. Kroncke has said she’ll be able to do more labs with her classes, and Mr. Heer will do the same with his physics classes, something he can’t even think of without any lab space now. I’ve even heard one former PHS student note that the science education we get now feels somewhat incomplete because of the current state of the facilities.

     If you’re still not convinced this is the best option, frame it this way: building on Westview and moving 1st and 4th grade there sounds a lot better than addressing capacity issues by moving 7th, 8th, or even pre-K to the high school. When considering operating costs, re-opening OE Gray isn’t a logical choice, either.

    For our future students, teachers, and community members, it’s time to show our Hillmen Pride. This referendum is worth it.

    Sure, a lot of us don’t even know what a referendum is. And why should we? Most people in this school can’t vote. It’s fourth quarter; we could care less.

    But I’ll ask you this: Will you ask your friends, your parents, your neighbors, your grandma’s hairdresser’s son’s dog’s friend’s owner’s sister’s uncle to vote yes? Are you willing to take just a minute to fight apathy because you can?