For another election year, the levy to raise funds for a new Talawanda High School will be on the Nov. 4 ballot. The current building, which is 53 years old, lacks a basic necessities, including enough science labs to serve students trying to meet new state graduation standards. The cost of the new building will be offset by the benefits it can provide community. The editorial board of The Miami Student unanimously agrees this levy should pass and that students should be an instrumental component of the voting bloc.
Opponents of the levy state that the current high school is receiving extremely high marks in statewide school ratings, thus indicating that students and faculty are making do with the building they have. These arguments are correct only in highlighting what great progress current faculty has made amidst dwindling educational conditions. We should not fault these individuals for excelling in the current circumstances, nor should we assume that just because the situation is rosy right now that there will not be an increasing number of problems with the old building as time goes on. Tentatively, construction of a new high school would not be completed until 2011, so passage and construction should occur as soon as possible, so students learning abilities can be enhanced sooner, rather than later.
Furthermore, this board believes the benefits of the new building far outweigh any criticism, and that-despite the national economic condition-the timing could not be more right for building a new school in the most cost-effective manner possible. Not only would local land be sold to the township at the cheapest possible price on which to build the new school, but the state would pledge $11 million toward the new construction if the levy passes. Understandably, it may be hard for township residents to shoulder a burden in the current economic climate. However, the marginal increase in property taxes that the levy would impose is an extremely small price to pay for improving educational facilities in the area.
The new high school, which will include science and computer labs, is essential to keeping students educated so that when they graduate they will have the tools for success, regardless of the economic condition. Also, the new construction will be an added incentive for Miami University faculty members to live in the area and keep their children in the school district. Not only is this a possible attraction to prospective university faculty, but it may give current faculty a reason to live closer and commute less-especially based upon the latest university transportation study that highlights the large number of faculty that drive into Oxford everyday from the surrounding region.
It is important that students use their local vote to support a new high school that could greatly benefit the community. Unlike last year's election, the combination of national and local issues on the ballot will supercharges turnout and creates a potentially important shift in favor of the levy. There have been charges that a student vote on this issue will simply be meddling in local affairs.
However, arguments against renters voting ignore other, non-student local residents who rent property, and forget that we will feel the levy in our rents as well. We must make the choice to support the levy and vote together in order to help local students and the community.
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