Voters in the Marshall School District have an important decision to make when they go to the polls on Nov. 4.

We’ll decide whether or not to approve the proposed levy referendum put forth by school officials. It’s considered necessary to avoid cuts in teachers, elective classes and activities.

I’ve heard from some who plan to vote yes and others who plan to vote no. It’s important to consider both the concerns that have been raised and the needs of our students.

Among the concerns I’ve heard are that the levy will be indexed for inflation, that we funded a new grade school several years ago, that the district has added considerably to the number of para-professionals, and that taxes are already going up next year.

The inflation provision is technically a blank check because no one knows future inflation rates. It’s included since it could help to ensure that district budgets keep up with increases in operating costs.

It’s difficult for any local government unit (city, county or school district) to keep tax increases lower than inflation for a long term period. Costs of goods and services go up.

An even bigger factor is the cost of personnel. Employees have a right to expect that their pay increases will at least keep up with the cost of living. If they aren’t keeping up, they’ll look around for other job opportunities. We need to reward them financially in order to keep good, experienced staff.

The construction of Southview Elementary involved a significant cost, but it was an important step toward having a fully modern group of buildings.

A building referendum only pays for construction. Now we have to make a decision about how much to spend on operating costs. It could influence how fully we utilize our buildings.

It’s true that the district has more para-professionals than in the past. Many of them work with just one student.

We understand learning disabilities better than we did a generation ago. If a student has needs for additional help in school, there are state and federal mandates that public schools provide it.

Those services are not what would be cut if the levy is voted down. The cuts would affect all students, the gifted and the average as well as those with special needs.

I’m usually not in favor of unfunded mandates, but with special education I believe they’re a good thing. They help to guarantee that all students have a chance to reach their potential, to achieve as much as they’re capable of achieving. It might enable them to someday support themselves.

Last but not least, it’s true that taxes will go up. With the levy request, we get the opportunity to decide whether to spend money. We know what’s at stake. It’s in the hands of the voters.

You can tell from my comments that I intend to vote yes. I see it as a decision between money and kids. I know that my rent might go up if taxes go up, but I’d pay more if I know that we’re giving our kids the best public education we can provide,

There’s nothing more important than kids. They’re our future. They’ll take care of us when we’re elderly. We need to invest in them now because of how they’ll someday help us.

If you show me a town that fails to take pride in its public school system, I’ll show you a town that’s not a progressive community.

Marshall voters have proven many times that we’re progressive. The 1968 land purchase and construction on Saratoga Street was a huge step forward. The 2005 completion of the new Marshall High School was backed by an investment of $40 million.

Everyone should take an interest in school issues even if they don’t have any relatives who are currently students. The worst possible thing that could happen next month would be if the levy is voted down and most people then ignore school news.

We should either pass the levy or come up with a plan that gives our kids good opportunities without it. Everyone should participate in the decision making process.

— Jim Muchlinski is a longtime reporter and contributor to the Marshall Independent