Will You Be Voting Today?

It's election day in Ohio and several other states today. Will you be voting?

This blog is not a political blog and will never be a political blog. But I decided I had to blog about the election today in the hopes of catching some of you fellow Lake County, Ohio, residents - specifically those of you in the Willoughby-Eastlake School District.

There's a super-important levy issue on the ballot today for Willoughby-Eastlake voters. Please vote in favor of it. Our school district needs the money. Our district has long operated on a very lean budget. The poor economy coupled with rapid increases in unfunded federal mandates have put our district in a bad spot. They need this levy. Cuts will be coming whether this levy passes or not. Many argue that the quality of a Willoughby-Eastlake education will be impacted whether the levy passes or not.

But if this levy doesn't pass, our children and your neighbors' children will be the ones who will, in the end, pay the price. Sure, they'll still get an education, but it will be without the benefit of free access to team sports, without robust arts programs, in classes with higher student-to-teacher ratios, and more. And perhaps most concerning to me - kindergarten will now carry a price tag of $2900 for the year. This early childhood education is a critical foundation to future student success and there are many in our district for whom $2900 is unaffordable.

So, that's my plea. I don't care what politician you're voting for today or in November. But I do hope you'll get out and support our schools.

And you have now read a post that is the closest I'll ever get to talking politics on this blog. Now, go get out and vote!