I would like to share some observations on the relationship between our community and our school district, how what I have observed is increasing polarization among voters, and to suggest some common ground from which we can all move forward.
It is no secret that only a small portion of our community is strongly engaged with our Board of Education. Few people attend the Board of Education meetings, a fairly small percentage of our community votes in the election, and it’s largely the same parents and community members who volunteer their time to keep things moving.
On the one hand, we owe a debt of gratitude to those who volunteer in our schools, PTAs and HSAs, and on our BOE. They are doing so much for all our kids. However, the fairly low level of engagement means that when decisions are made, it is often the same people at the table, and there is a strong chance that some key perspectives in our community are not being represented.
It seems that many in the community are fine with this. They recognize we have great schools and trust those engaged parents who have the time to volunteer. However, there is another part of the community that is very frustrated by the status quo, feels like they are being excluded from decisions regarding our schools, and laments the large school budgets that increase faster than inflation and lead to larger property taxes.
You do not have to take my word on this. The same point came through loud and clear in the recent survey for the superintendent search. The most vocal in this block are also well represented in editorials to this paper, and it is sad to see our community divided by what should be uniting us, our children’s education.
I would argue that although tough choices have to be made, this dichotomy between more money for the school district and lower taxes is not so clear-cut. We all know that Port Washington is an expensive place to live, and every year that taxes rise places a greater burden on those less fortunate in our community.
Financial insecurity can be a major source of stress in a family, and stressed-out kids can have difficulty in schools. So more money for our schools does not necessarily lead to successful kids. On the flip side, it is no coincidence that our great schools are supported by a large budget, and our school district is a great draw to Port Washington, increasing property values.
Thus, those focusing on education should also work to keep the budget in check, whereas those focused on low taxes should be grateful for the boost their home values receive from living near great schools. To put it simply, we have to continue investing in our kids’ education, but doing so in a thoughtful way that limits the rate of growth of the school budget. Finding this balance is hard, but is the responsibility of the BOE and all involved in crafting the district’s budget.
Given the existing polarization in our town, it might be time for some new faces to step up, ones not associated with one voting block or the other. It is for this reason that I have decided to run for the Port Washington Board of Education. I encourage all of you to increase your involvement, and I will make it a priority to reach out to all of you for your feedback and new ideas. (Search for me, Jonathan Geisler, on Facebook.) Together, we can continue to make Port Washington a fantastic place to live.
Jonathan Geisler
Port Washington
