6/29/08

Plain Dealer Letter

Alicia Kundtz

The Ohio School Facilities Commis sion provides partial state funding to build and renovate schools.

The declining economy has had a severe impact on districts’ abilities to pass levies to pay the local share of the project costs. So, they ask, “Can we do one building at a time? We can get behind a smaller project that we can afford.” The answer is no. Segmented projects are allowed only under the Accelerated Urban Initiative.

On June 25, Gov. Ted Strickland vetoed legislation that would have allowed segmentation of OSFC projects. He argues that the recalculation of wealth and local share would result in the inequi table treatment of urban districts.

Strickland believes his veto is in the public interest.

You may not see the struggles that can result from a poor educational environment; kindergartners in poorly lit, poorly ventilated basement classrooms; kids climbing three flights of stairs to get to the bathroom; children walking through rain or snow to get to a modular classroom.

It is hard to imagine that these conditions in our schools are “in the public interest.”

Alicia Kundtz, Willoughby