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Our View: School space issue

By Staff | Oct 1, 2008

These are uncertain times. With the Wall Street bailout heating up on everyone’s front burner and the economy as a whole needing to see better days, the last thing we want to discuss is higher taxes.

But at Monday’s community meeting at Tonganoxie Middle School to discuss space needs at Tonganoxie Elementary School, such talk was needed.

Talk of another bond issue, just four years after a $25.3 million school bond issue passed, was at center-stage. It was the first meeting to discuss the current situation, so if and when voters will decide on more funding for more schools is strictly hypothetical at this point.

Still, the dialogue that took place at the meeting built a good foundation for much more discussion about an important issue that not only affects current taxpayers, but will affect future generations of our community.

Monday’s meeting was a chance to evaluate and debate various options about the issue at hand. And many more such meetings will occur in the future. If one has any interest in this process, one would be wise to get involved now.

Tonganoxie is a great place to live because one gets the best of many worlds — a small town with all the advantages that come with it, but also the convenience of driving relatively short distances to take in all that a larger city has to offer. With that in mind, it would be naive to think the small town won’t have its share of growth. And with growth comes the need for ample educational opportunities.

At a time when families must deal with higher prices everywhere they turn and an unstable economy, it’s tough to even think about talking about committing more money to fund more schools.

But the only way to plan for a brighter future is to start planning right now.