Letters to the editor may be sent to [email protected]. All opinions stated in letters to the editor and guest columns are those of the author and should not be construed as an endorsement by Lowell’s First Look.
Letter to the editor:
Absentee voting starts March 28 for the May 7 no tax increase bond proposal from Lowell Area Schools. I plan to vote “yes.” I’ve lived and owned a home in the district for 20 years and have no children, but am solidly in favor of some of my property taxes going to fund our schools. A strong, well-supported district only increases opportunities for the success of our students and the prosperity of our community as a whole.
As a former Grand Rapids Press reporter who for many years attended monthly Board of Education meetings, and later as a Lowell Education Foundation board member, I have seen how carefully the district works to be good stewards of taxpayer money, and to maximize outcomes with those funds. Case in point: while the cost of this special election is about the same as a good used pickup, starting work next season rather than this one is pretty well guaranteed to cost far, far more.
Community members themselves helped determine which projects would be included in the proposal. Several community input sessions were held to shape the bond request, and the consensus among families is that the improvements proposed are very much needed.
Maintaining what we have and building to accommodate our evolving needs and demographics is smart budgeting. As we all struggle to stretch our household dollars further, I appreciate the district for respecting that and using my taxpayer dollars wisely.
Morgan Jarema
Vergennes Township
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