I am a senior at Blanchester High School. Although this is my first year in the Blanchester School System, the impact created by the many educators being cut from the schools is evident.

I grew up in the Lakota Local School District in bustling West Chester Ohio, and in moving to Blanchester I can clearly see the difference in community interaction between the schools. Although West Chester is much bigger, the board of education cared about their students personally; they strove to provide the best education possible while campaigning for support from the surrounding community. That’s what I, as well as many other students of Blanchester, feel should be done locally.

With smaller towns comes a more closely-knit community and more individualized education for each student in the school system, but that is exactly the opposite of what the board of education is working towards. Yes, cuts would save the district money, but what are we doing to raise money in the first place?

Passing the 1% earned income tax levy would help, but the community also needs to strive to strengthen their own involvement in the school systems. If new parents have children that will eventually be growing up in the Blanchester Schools, wouldn’t they want the best education possible for them?

Terminating educators that teach foreign languages, important agricultural principles, and book selection in the library would create an environment that was focused on checking off the list of graduation requirements rather than teaching and immersing the students in their studies. It would discourage the citizens of Blanchester to continue being involved with the school if the school wasn’t working to be involved with their kids, and it would seriously hinder the opportunities that future generations have for their careers.

The student body needs you to pass the levy, and we as a community need to come together to provide support and be involved with not only the current generation, but also the generations yet to come.

Libby Tinkler

Blanchester