Dear editor,
As Dr. Phil would say, I don’t have a dog in this hunt. My only child graduated in 2008, so why should I care about anyone else’s kids, especially if it will make my taxes go up?
The answer for me is that the children are our future. Not just my child, but everyone else’s child, too. I care because I care about my neighbors, my community, and the students and staff of LOCS.
I am a political conservative who is tired of the spending in DC. I don’t want to pay more in taxes. But like any rule, there is always an exception. The children in this community are the exception.
There has been and will be a lot of information and misinformation about this bond issue. These are the facts.
1. When it became apparent to a strategic planning committee that a bond was needed, even though no one wanted to ask the community for more during these economic times, it was too late to get it on the November ballot.
2. It is NOT being held in February in the hopes of having senior citizens out of town so they won’t vote against it. I’m not voting against this bond even though I no longer have a child in the schools, so why would I believe that many seniors wouldn’t feel the same way I do?
3. The truth is that bond election is being held in February instead of May because there is not enough time to get the necessary paperwork completed if the election was in May.
It could be done in May, but it would cost the average LO homeowner about 3 times more per year than it would if it was done in February. This is because of property values over the past five years.
There is a long explanation for this about taxable values. Educate yourself on the reasons. Suffice to say that a $200,000 home would pay $160/year with the February election and would be over $500/year with a May election. Go to www.lakeorion.k12.mi.us/ and click on Bond to educate yourself.
4. This bond is for frivolous extras the district doesn’t need. Not true. This is a bare bones bond.
This bond is for safety and security of the buildings, needed refurbishing of roofs and plumbing, busses, and the bulk is for technology.
Did you know that schools do not even have wireless Internet? We must get our schools back in the game with technology if we want the children to be able to compete in the world.
I grew up in the 60s and 70s when a calculator or electric typewriter was considered technology. I have heard many older people, like myself, say that ‘we learned just fine without all that stuff, why can’t the kids today??
The answer is that we are not teaching them to live in the world of yesterday, or even today. We are teaching them to live in the world of tomorrow.
If this bond does not pass it will be 8-10 years before another bond could be pursued in Lake Orion. If the technology in the schools is not what it should be today, can you even imagine how far behind it will be in 10 years?
Bond monies cannot be used to pay people or programs or utilities. The same cannot be said of the monies spent on people and programs if the bond doesn’t pass.
There are some things such as busses and roofs that have to be done. The money will have to come from somewhere.
Chances are it may come from a program that your child or grandchild loves. That’s just the reality of the economic times we live in today.
I urge you to educate yourself. Go to the LOCS web site and read about what the bond is all about. I believe the children of Lake Orion are worth that average of $160 per year. I will be voting YES for the bond in February.
-Kyle Dykman

School district:Get out of transportation business
(In response to: ?16 teachers nixed, wage cuts OK’d,? The Citizen, page 1, May 22.)
Dear Editor,
The Goodrich School District administration has announced that it needs to lay off more than 1/10th of its teaching staff, 16 teachers. It is just too hard to believe that with all the school taxes we pay, and supposedly all the revenue from the Michigan Lottery going to the schools, we have to take such drastic measures. I think it is time to seriously consider a different option, getting rid of all school buses. They need to be sold to the highest bidder, insurance on them canceled, drivers and mechanics pink slipped and stop buying all the overpriced diesel for them. I’m sure the savings would be huge! As an American/taxpayer/property owner, I certainly believe that the education of your children is one of the most important duties we have in life, but why do I also have to pay to get your kids to school?
Free school busing started when school districts had pockets full of cash, not a $2.3 million deficit. When you drive by almost every rural bus stop in the mornings, you will find 3-5 running vehicles, with coffee sipping parents sitting in them, illegally parked too close to the stop signs, while their kids are outside waiting for the bus with their neighbors and friends, too embarassed to sit in the running SUV’s with Mama. If all these parents would form ‘car pools? and drive maybe once/week, problem solved. You figure out how your kid gets to school. These are your children, we are supplying them with the best free education possible and basically babysitting for them all day for you, just get them there. At the very least, the bus service should be privatized and a pay for ride fee implemented.
And sorry, I’m not falling for constant whine that your little darlings won’t be as safe with privatization. These drivers are fully endorsed, licensed, drug tested, background checked and I’m sure most of them have fine families, in the community, and love their children, as much as you do.
It’s time that our school districts get out of the transportation business, balance the budget, and then totally concentrate on the education of its students, the future of America.
Dr. James C. Weiker, Goodrich

Parents: Kids are future generation
(In response to, ‘I feel like a new person,? The Citizen, June 5 page 3)
Dear Editor,
I feel nothing but joy for this young boy and his mother, and wish them continued success in Nathan’s journey through the Brandon school years to come.
My child went to H.T.Burt Elementary, with Principal Kristy Spann. We made a family decision after four months into the school year to drop enrollment. My child was falling behind academically and socially and that was with an IEP (Individualized Education Program).
The meetings we had (and there were several) with the ‘team? were unsuccessful and very stressful to say the least. I know several other families who have struggled with this same matter in the Brandon School District and decided to remove their child as well.
Now my child is doing really well and without an IEP. He is very active in the community and involved in a lot of sport activities. I feel that with most kids, who have behavior, disabilities or any other problems which might interfere with their education learning process, that the school district is causing more harm than good. Parents, please rise to the occasion and take action. After all, these kids are the future generation.
Denise Taylor