Issue 81 Rumor Patrol!

Wait 'til you hear some of the rumors floating around about Issue 81, the CH-UH school facilities bond issue. Here, CH-UH School Board members Eric Coble and Nancy Peppler share a few, along with some much-needed factual relief. 

Hi, friends,

It was to be expected, but as we race toward voting for Issue 81 next Tuesday, Nov. 5, the rumor mill has kicked into full gear. So here are a few truths to set the record straight:

RUMOR: If the bond passes, over 1,000 families will lose their homes!  
TRUTH: Nobody is losing their home. This number seems to be based on a psychic prediction from Albert Oberst based on his somehow seeing the November 9th, 2013 copy of the Plain Dealer (we are not making this up).

RUMOR:  The facilities plan includes an Olympic-sized swimming pool in the High School!  Why do we need an Olympic-sized pool??
TRUTH:  We don't. That's why the plan includes a new High School Competition Pool (HALF the size of an Olympic Pool) which will enable us to host swim competitions as well as make it easier for the PUBLIC to use the pool year-round (which has been on everyone's wish list for as long as we've lived in this city). (And if you've been in those changing/shower rooms, you KNOW how much of an upgrade they need)

RUMOR:  Lakewood did their similar-sized district-wide facility plan for only $163 million dollars, ours is around $230 million!
TRUTH:  Lakewood's plan actually cost $219 million, and that was a while ago. Adjusted for inflation their plan would cost $235 million in today's dollars, which is (surprise!) what our district-wide plan is budgeted for.

RUMOR: This plan ignores all the elementary schools for 10 years or longer -- Our youngest children will be suffering in collapsing schools!
TRUTH:  Phase One of the plan does focus on renovating the High School and Middle Schools, which is where over half of our students are located.  By starting in the upper buildings, we ensure all students will only be disrupted once during their school career.  If we started with the Elementary schools, a child could be disrupted there, then again in middle school, and yet again in High School. Nobody wants that.  PLUS, the High School is our most expensive property to keep up -- by renovating that building first, it actually frees up MORE money to keep our elementary schools running safely and better until Phase 2, when we WILL be renovating them.  Our community simply doesn't have the space or money to renovate everything all at once.

RUMOR:  The plan includes a heli-pad on the high school roof, so visiting V.I.P.s can swoop in and out!
TRUTH:   Um, no.

ONE MORE TRUTH:
It's time. We need to do this. This community banded together almost 100 years ago to say, "We value public education. We value solid school buildings."  They did this in the face of vocal opposition from some parties.  And they created buildings with solid foundations and walls that we can build on today.  

Now it's our turn. You know what it takes to maintain a century-old house in University Heights or Cleveland Heights. Now imagine doing that for a dozen buildings with 7,000 active occupants. This work has to be done, and we are the only people who will pay for it to be done, and it is NOT GOING TO EVER GET LESS EXPENSIVE THAN NOW. Every year we wait to take this project on will cost us more. The plan is solid, it will give us buildings that make it easier for teachers to teach and students to learn, and that we can be PROUD of for the next century. 

It's our turn.  Let's do the right (and smart) thing.  

ON TUESDAY, NOV. 5, VOTE YES ON ISSUE 81.
Thank you,
Eric Coble & Nancy Peppler
Members, Cleveland Heights-Univeristy Heights School Board