To the editor:

Lindbergh School District homeowners, ask yourself this question: “What is my home worth?”

Got a figure in your head? Now reduce that number by $10,000. Why? With a “no” vote on Prop L, Lindbergh School District’s plea for much-needed revenue, the district will no longer be able to maintain the level of quality education it currently provides to its students.

Sooner or later, you’re going to sell your home. If the public school system is weakened, families with school-age children who are looking for the best education in the most affordable communities will be less likely to buy a home in the Lindbergh School District. The loss of this desirable market will have a negative impact on our home values. Those currently living in the district are very fortunate; given the choice of public school districts, many choose Lindbergh. Wouldn’t you like to keep it that way?

As a Realtor with more than eight years of experience, working with buyers and sellers is my business. I know what interests buyers and what influences their decisions to buy. When children are involved, parents instinctively investigate the public school districts. My family did three years ago when my daughter was ready to enter school. We lived in the city and due to its poorly financed and administered school system, decided to move to the county.

We specifically chose to buy a home in the Lindbergh School District because of its proven record of achievement.

The Lindbergh School District is constantly compared to the Rockwood Summit, Parkway and Webster Groves school districts, but our tax burden is still the lowest of them all and will continue to be so even with the passage of Prop L.

Think about it. Because the Lindbergh School District consistently attracts young families to the area, your home has seen its value increase. Anyone who lives in the district, regardless of family status, has benefited from having a first-class public school system. The future value of your home is at stake. As a homeowner, your vote on Prop L will determine whether the school district, and by extension this community, will continue to be among the most desirable in the county.

Rick Wiedenhoeft

Crestwood