Election Day: What the District Needs

Local elections often bring up discussions of needs versus wants for the community.

Explaining to our children the difference between a want and a need is a daily event in some households. Teaching my son that he doesn’t need to play video games is a relatively easy one. Explaining to him why we, as a family, need a vacation, but that the need turns into a want when we discuss Disneyland, is a little trickier.

Sometimes, needs and wants come together blissfully, like when my 2-year-old begs for strawberries or edamame. I congratulate myself for being such a good mom quickly, before I have a chance to discover that she’s also just chewed and swallowed every piece of the giant pack of gum in my purse.

There are times when I have to have serious discussions in my head, too. For instance, we are debating whether to put in a bathroom in our basement. Having a second bathroom in a family of six seems like a clear need, until I realize that proceeding means that we might short our other financial goals for the year. Clearly, in relative terms, a bathroom can be a want.

We are at a place in our district where needs and wants are becoming a bit muddled. There are some needs that can be misunderstood because we are looking at them among the wrong relative terms.

For instance, when Proposition C came up on the ballot, many thought an 88-cent tax increase was asking for too much. While I voted in favor of it, there was one key point that I was against, but it was an emotional response. I don’t want my own children attending all-day kindergarten, so it was with the slightest reserve that I voted yes.

I know that there are a lot of children in the district who would greatly benefit from all-day kindergarten, and maybe mine too. I can’t let an emotional reaction to an issue cloud my judgment about what is best for the district.

This can occur in other ways, too. We may think that computers for students or a new auditorium sounds excessive, because it is so far from our own experience in high school or because we are in an economic downturn. This doesn’t mean that it’s not a need.

A friend recently told me that as they were looking for a new home, her realtor told her that Webster Groves, Kirkwood and Lindbergh were the buzzwords for desirable school districts. I don’t want Mehlville to be an also-ran. I want us to be the talk of the town, and not just for bragging rights. We need the best possible education for our children.

The benefits don’t stop at the kids. Property values are a reflection of the school district’s performance, and on that measure, we all benefit.

Broadly speaking, better education leads to more high school graduates, pulling higher income levels and spending into the community. Again, we all benefit.

We also have to recognize, however, that for some people in our community, increased property taxes involve sacrifice in their quality of life. There have been times in our life where a couple hundred dollars makes a pretty huge deal in what we could do too, and residents need to understand why their sacrifice is worth it.

The next couple of years are critical for the Mehlville School District. We need leaders who can effectively communicate to the district residents the needs of the
students and why they are needs and not wants. 

Obtaining a great education for our children is not a want. On Tuesday, I will be voting for Mike Wainz and Ron Fedorchak, the two candidates who believe that our children need a great education to compete in the world, and that our district needs to offer a great education to compete for great homeowners.