We need your support and assistance in our efforts to reach Midview voters. Would you mind taking a few minutes to write a Letter to the Editor on behalf of the schools and send it to the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram and the Rural-Urban Record?

To assist you with writing a letter, read the factsheet with information about the Schools and Issue 39. We would like you to personalize this information and to write your letter from your own point of view - as a teacher, Midview alumni, student, parent or community member. For example: "As a parent in the Midview School District, I know first hand that the students are receiving a quality education...." OR: "I'm a teacher at the Midview Schools and in my classroom, students..."

(Note: Letters to the Rural-Urban Record may not be more than 250 words long. If submitted by email, they require you to fax or mail a signed letter to them.)

Since election day is on November 4, letters need to be sent anytime from now to October 17 (for the Rural-Urban Record) or October 20 (for the Chronicle-Telegram) so that they will run prior to election day. Since the newspapers tend to be inundated with letters the week before election day, please try to send your letter before then.

Letters
   

I have lived in the Midview School District for most of my life. My wife and I have three children, two of whom are currently enrolled in the Midview Schools. I am a proud graduate of Midview High School. I have been teaching at the Midview High school for the past 15 years. I have witnessed the good and the bad times our District has experienced, but I believe over the past few years we have had a lot more good than bad. I am very proud to be associated with the Midview Schools and to live in the District.

We have all experienced financial changes in our own lives lately. The schools are no exception. The increase in the price of fuel, natural gas, and electricity has put the Midview Schools in a desperate situation.

The Midview School District has been fiscally responsible. They have already cut more than $1 million. These cuts came from a budget that already spends the least amount per student in Lorain County. I believe we have done an outstanding job of educating children with these limited resources. However, without the passage of Issue 39 an additional $1 million must be cut. These cuts will go deep into the educational process, crippling the District for years to come. The passage of Issue 39 will stave off these difficult cuts, giving the children the resources they need to succeed.

The School Board is not being greedy. They are asking for the minimal amount needed to keep the schools fiscally sound. This 2.5 mill permanent improvement levy is one of the lowest in the state. PI money can only pay for investments such as textbooks, technology, maintained facilities, and safe transportation. It cannot pay for salaries. This is not about the staff wanting bigger salaries—It is about providing our children with the best and safest education possible on a minimal budget.

For some people, it is easy to sit back and say they will never vote for a levy. They have their different reasons. However, we need to send the message to our children that they are more important than any grudge you may hold from the past. We need to send the right message to our students. I can tell you that Midview has made great strides over the past few years. I believe we are becoming one of the best school districts in the area. We need your vote to continue our success.

Please VOTE FOR ISSUE 39 on November 4th—Keep Educational Necessities! Every vote is very important!

I feel compelled to respond to Richard Clevenger’s letter regarding the Midview school levy. I read it with dismay and sadness. How can anyone not understand how important our young people are and how short our time with them can be as evidenced by the loss of three of them so recently?

My husband and I are in that category Clevenger referred to—we are senior citizens living on a very fixed income. So what! Everyone is having a hard time. Does that mean we are to sacrifice our young people? I’m sure you have heard that our children are our future. Do you not believe this to be true? What chance do you think they will have without a quality education?

We have lived in this community since 1976 and have never voted against a school levy, and we never will. Are you truly motivated by the times or are you always against any new levy?

I already have the mainstream media trying to convince me to elect Barack Obama, to no avail. I, and I alone, will do my choosing. I choose God and children. I find them far more reliable and honest.

I am writing to urge Midview voters to vote YES on Issue 39. As a teacher in the Midview School District, I see first-hand every day how your tax money benefits the students. The students of Midview are well prepared for the future that awaits them. The Midview Board of Education has been very responsible with your tax money and had the lowest per pupil instructional costs in the county. They have already cut millions from the budget and the staff and students feel those cuts every day. Teaching positions have been eliminated by not replacing retiring teaches. Class sizes have increased making it more difficult to meet the varying needs of the students. Out of date textbooks have not been replaced making much of the content irrelevant or outdated. Pay-to-play has already been instituted for our students involved in extra curriculars and many talented kids are not able to take part in these beneficial activities due to the cost.

Mr. Dulmage, our superintendent, has made it very clear that future cuts would include teaching and support staff, busing to the high school, and extra curricular activities which in my opinion, keep students off the streets and out of trouble. Any further cuts would be detrimental to the children of this community. These are not threats, they are the reality of a very dire situation that many school districts across Ohio are facing. Don’t let Midview kids down. Vote YES on Issue 39!

Invest in Midview’s children. Vote YES on Issue 39. With the economy on a roller coaster ride, it’s comforting to know that investing in education will benefit all of us.

The Midview School District has been fiscally responsible with our tax dollars. Midview has cut more than one million dollars over the last two years and has the lowest spending per pupil in Lorain County. They are only asking for voters for the minimum amount needed to maintain the schools at their present levels. Issue 39 is a 5-year permanent improvement levy and can only pay for educational necessities such as up-to-date textbooks, modern classroom technology, safe buses and maintaining facilities. Without the levy, difficult cuts will be made and our community will suffer from them.

When I moved into the Midview School District twenty-five ears ago, I was amazed at the strong sense of community. Our schools and our students are a vital part of that community. I’m asking you to invest in the schools and the community’s future by voting YES for Issue 39.

I am a 2007 graduate of Midview High School, and I am asking the community to support the Midview school district and vote YES on Issue 39. If this levy does not pass in November, the effect on the district will be substantial.

As a graduate of the district, I can say that going to school there and participating in activities greatly shaped me into the person that I am today here at the University of Findlay. But if the levy does not pass, some of these programs from the students will get cut and they will not have the same opportunities that I or any of my classmates experienced.

So I am asking that everyone in the Midview community go out and vote YES on Issue 39. Remember that this is for the students of the Midview school district.

“It takes a village.” As the mother of 3 in the Midview Schools I ask you to consider that as you go to the polls on November 4. My husband and I grew up in very strong school districts where levies passed and schools rarely went without. We know what I means to reside in districts that rank Exceptional. If you read through the Cleveland Magazine issue that ranks the suburbs each year there is a direct correlation between how they ranked in the survey and how well they support their community whether it be through schools, safety services or public programs. Our family moved here 5 years ago prepared to send our children to private schools. However, once we settled in we saw the future. We loved the new elementary facilities and our experience has been positive. We moved here because we felt a strong sense of community. We felt Grafton would provide a better quality of life for our family. Everyone we have met over the years has been wonderful. We do think we moved into a strong “village”. The passage of this levy will only cost the average home owner an additional $9.57 a month. This seems like a small amount that can provide a strong return on investment. Support the children. Give them Educational Necessities. Help move the district from Effective to Exceptional. Do it for your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews or neighbors. Vote Yes on Issue 39.

I am writing about our schools. I attend East Intermediate at East we have academic classes such as Math, Reading, Language, Science and Social Studies. We also have gym, art, music, computers and library throughout the week. We have Boy & Girl Scout programs, as well as sports, choir and band from elementary through high school. Midview has 5 schools. They are North & West Elementary, East Intermediate and the Middle & High Schools. The schools are clean and so are the busses. The people at the schools are kind and respectful, just like the people in our community. The Midview School District needs the community’s help. The schools will have to make changes if Issue 39 fails on November 4. Please help me continue to enjoy and take pride in my education—Vote Yes for Issue 39 on Nov. 4.

I am writing in support of Issue 39, Midview Local School District’s 2.5 mill, permanent improvement levy on the Nov. 4 ballot. Boards of education across Ohio are struggling to provide the funds to continue supporting high quality schools. Midview is no different. The district has already cut $1 million from its budget in the past two years and will face the dire prospect of having to cut an additional $1 million from the budget if this levy does not pass. The passage of this levy will allow the district to maintain staff and update textbooks, technology and its aging bus fleet. The cost to an owner of a $100,000 home is an additional $6.30 a month and is a wise investment I your schools and community. I urge residents of the Midview School District to support high-quality schools and vote yes.

As a graduate of Midview High School in 2005, I have mixed feelings about the upcoming election and the school levy for the Midview school district. It seems I graduated just in time, and it is almost a relief that I do not have to attend our schools in the state of financial troubles! I am also enraged at the thought of some of the proposed budget cuts if this issue does not pass. I know that we are ALL feeling the effects of the current financial crisis in this country, but our children and our schools, no matter what, should always be our No. 1 priority.

This district needs this money! Bigger class sizes, limited busing, cutting sports and afterschool programs—it all spells disaster for the district if this levy does not pass. We cannot let our kids fall behind. We cannot let our schools become a place where people do NOT wish to send their children. A great school district helps out everyone, whether we send our children there, attract new families to buy homes in our area or just to ensure that we are properly educating the leaders of tomorrow.

Vote yes on Issue 39 to help our schools. It is everyone’s responsibility, and we all must stand up for our children.

 As a business owner, I know how important it is for students to receive a quality education that prepares them for the workplace. We are very fortunate in the Midview School District because our students are getting a qulity education and accomplishing great things in and out of the classroom.

However, the quality of education in the Midview Schools is in jeopardy because our district is facing financial difficulties. The district has been fiscally responsible and has cut more than one million dollars over the past two years. Midview has he lowest per student instructional spending in the County. But, funding for the district is flat and without new money, the schools will need to cut an additional one million dollars from the bare bones budget. This will threaten the quality of education for our students.

To make sure that our students are getting a quality education and are prepared for the workplace and college, we need to pass Issue 39. The Issue will allow the schools to keep the programs, teachers and technology that our kids need to prepare them for the future.

The Midview Schools are only asking voters for the minimum amount needed this November to ensure that educational necessities, like up-to-date textbooks, modern classroom technology and safe student transportation, are provided. I urge all voters in the Midview School District to vote Yes on Issue 39 on November 4h.

The current situation facing the Midview school district is precarious at best. As an alumnus of Midview High School from 2006, I am very concerned with the possibility of the current levy not passing.

I attribute most of my success as a prospective medical school student to my time spent at Midview and the person into which I was molded there. The enthusiasm of the teachers and the quality of programs that I experienced at Midview High School, like varsity track & field or Youth for Youth, served as an excellent transition to Miami University, which I now attend.

Langston Hughes once asked, “What happens to a dream deferred?” If Issue 39 fails on November 4, I am afraid that the Midview community will be forced to find out. As we trudge through this slowing economy, our education is one of the lat things onto which we can cling, so please support Midview Schools and vote for Issue 39.

As a life-long resident of Eaton Township, my sons will be third generation graduates of the Midview schools. I speak from personal experience that Midview has a history of being a high quality education system, striving to develop children into successful young adults. Young adults who are prepared to attend college, obtain degrees and become valuable assets and leaders in the community they choose as their home. A college education is a necessity in today’s workforce. College admission has become highly competitive. Scholarships have become more difficult to obtain. The children of our community need to receive a sound and advanced education right here and right now in order to have a competitive edge and achieve long-term success.

Without your YES vote, textbooks will not be updated and technology will not be improved to keep up with our advancing society. Your children and grandchildren will have fewer opportunities to build and develop life skills. Without your YES vote, the fee for extracurricular activity participation will be significantly increased. Families who are already struggling will be forced to pull their children from these valuable programs. I am a strong believer that extra curriculars keep kids out of trouble. Being involved in a sport or the arts or a special interest group helps to keep kids focused, burns extra energy, develops socialization skills and keeps them off the streets. If kids are unable to participate due to the cost of the activity, they may turn to activities that cause trouble for the community.

The monthly cost per household of his levy is very minimal. The school board has already said there is a possibility that they will discontinue bussing for all high school students and anyone within two miles of the schools. If you calculate the amount of extra gas in your own vehicle to transport your own children to and from school each day, the levy is absolutely the best economic deal. Support your family.

Support your neighbors. Support your Community. Support your Midview Local School District.

Now, our two children are at Midview High School and have been challenged beyond their wildest dreams because of all the advanced courses and leadership opportunities. It is now that we would like to toot our horn for Issue 39. The district is on track. With Issue 39, the necessities like adequate and safe busing, teachers and important learning resources such as textbooks, are covered. Issue 39 can keep the district and the community on track. For all the years that we lived in the Elyria district, (my husband and I are both Pioneer graduates), we became weary of all the talk about getting a new high school. Thank goodness the students and community of Elyria have a brighter future now with the addition of a new high school!

That being said, I for one, am glad that the Midview district has the building of new elementary schools behind them. It is exciting to read and learn that Midview may now be in the running for a new junior high school. We want our children to be successful and have better opportunities than we did as young adults. Isn’t that what we are supposed to want for our youth, a better future?

The end of the tunnel can be bright for the Midview district. Midview students are the future engineers of their own lives and we should clear the tracks for their successes. Let’s keep them on track. Please support Issue 39 when you vote this November. Full steam ahead Middies!

Issue 39 is important to continue the quality of education that is present. In the last 2 years, Midview has cut over 1million dollars in its budget. Although the effects may not be apparent to the general community or to the students, teachers have noticed the increasing class size, technology limitations and staff reductions. The Midview community needs to be proud of their schools. The amount that is spent on each student is the lowest in the County, yet the District has achieved an effective rating from the Ohio Department of Education and the high school has been rated as excellent for the last 3 years. If Issue 39 does not pass, at least an additional 1 million dollars will need to be cut from the district budget. These cuts will have a negative impact on the students and on the community.

Issue 39 is a Permanent Improvement Levy. This means that money can only go towards the things which are “permanent”, like textbooks, technology, and new buses, just to name a few things. The money that will be generated from this is the minimum that is needed to keep the schools functioning where they are now. As your basic expenses have increased, so the same expenses have increased in the schools. Presently, the State Government and the Federal Government have no plan to change the way they fund schools, so we, the community of Grafton need to support the children of today and the adults of the future.

Mr. Dulmage, the current Board of Education and employees of the Midview District have used your money wisely. If you have any questions, contact any of them. If the individual cannot answer your question, they can find someone who can. The students of Midview Schools deserve your support. Vote YES on Issue 39!

I am a senior at Midview High School, and I've been attending the Midview School District since kindergarten. I feel that I've gotten a quality education at Midview, and I really do love my school. However, the district has had to cut over a million dollars from the budget in the past two years, and it will soon be cutting more if Issue 39 does not pass this November. Although I will be leaving the school district after this year, I still feel strongly that this levy needs to pass to keep Midview's reputation as a quality education facility.

I have younger siblings and cousins in the Midview Schools, and I want them to have just as many (or more) education and extracurricular programs as I did, because that's what made my experience in school great. Please vote "yes" on Issue 39 on November 4th, because it's only for the necessities to help the children of Midview succeed.

On Election Day, you will see Issue 39, asking voters to approve a permanent improvement levy for EDUCATIONAL NECESSITIES needed by our students, teachers and staff in the Midview Schools. I encourage you to vote YES for this issue.

What are EDUCATIONAL NECESSITIES? They are up-to-date textbooks, modern classroom technology, safe and well maintained facilities and student transportation.

Why do we need a levy for these items? Property taxes in Ohio are frozen and they don’t keep up with rising costs. As a result, Midview schools are facing financial difficulties that can threaten the quality of education for students.

Does Midview deserve this levy? Absolutely! The Midview schools have been very responsible in managing money –cutting more than one million dollars from the budget. In fact, Midview has the lowest per pupil instructional spending in the county – and gets some of the best results! Our board, administrators, staff and teachers have proven they are responsibly using our money.

It’s time to put the past behind us and to look to the future. The facts are simple – Midview is a well run school district that is developing students who are prepared for college and the working world. In order for the teachers and staff to continue to be successful in preparing students for the future, they must have the EDUCATIONAL NECESSITIES to do their jobs. That’s why we must vote YES on Issue 39.

The Midview School District has provided a quality education to the children of our community for over 50 years. They have done this in a financially responsible way. Midview schools, along with Keystone, have the lowest per pupil costs in the county. The administration and school board have cut costs where possible without impacting the quality of the educational experience provided to our students. Any additional cut will directly impact the quality of a Midview education. Passing the 2.4 mill levy will assist with the purchasing of badly needed buses, school texts and technology upgrades. We need to support our schools, they are responsible for ensuing that the children of our community are prepared for adulthood and the work requirements they will face. YES, the Midview Schools need our support, please join me in providing it.