Letter to the Editor

To the editor:

In the opening sentences of his letter from the March 14 edition of the Call, Mark Flanagan warns voters not to fall for the “misleading advertising” of Prop R, the no-tax-rate-increase bond issue Lindbergh Schools has placed on the April 2 ballot.

There is nothing misleading about it.

All of Lindbergh’s materials refer to Prop R as a no-tax-rate-increase bond issue, which is entirely true. The district is completely transparent in the informational materials it has provided to the community, as well as on its website go.lindberghschools.ws/PropR, describing Prop R as a $105 million bond issue that would extend the current tax rate from 2035 to 2041.

Furthermore, the district is offering tours of the high-school buildings, and responding candidly to questions about the bond issue, as demonstrated by the published interview district Chief Financial Officer Joël Cracchiolo conducted with the Call.

Whether by choice (buying a home) or by compulsion (paying school district taxes), taxpayers living in the Lindbergh community own two major assets. In both cases, improvements to those assets are required from time to time to help them retain their value. It is unreasonable to suggest that, as owners of capital assets, we let either fall into disrepair and still expect it to deliver a return. Our public school district is a reflection of our esteem for and value of education and is the bedrock for the community’s continued vitality. More importantly, the ability of the district to deliver the type of high-quality education families seek has a direct impact on the value of our homes.

Lindbergh has been able to accomplish important capital improvements over the years without asking taxpayers to increase the debt service rate. Defeating Prop R will not make safety concerns improve, nor will it make the capital issues at the high school disappear. What it will do is postpone the ballot issue for another election, because the capital needs cannot be ignored, and they cannot be properly addressed without funding.

Lindbergh Schools has placed Prop R on the April 2 ballot to fulfill its primary mission to educate students while still respecting concerns of its many stakeholders. Please vote “yes” on Prop R and help protect your investment in quality public education.

Martha Duchild
Crestwood

Editor’s note: Mrs. Duchild unsuccessfully ran for the Lindbergh Board of Education in April 2017.