Voters in the Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City School District go to the ballot box Tuesday to decide two issues: Whether to revoke the existing $650 levy and whether to replace it with a new $1,075 levy.
The decision will impact the future of the ACGC district and its students.
Tuesday will be the fourth time the ACGC School Board has asked residents to consider a levy. ACGC voters have not approved a levy since 2003 when they approved the current $650 excess levy.
Voters rejected levy requests in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
During this same period, the district was moved into statutory operating debt and cut its budget by more than $1 million.
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The school board addressed leadership concerns and hired a new interim superintendent.
If the proposed new levy is approved, it would generate $449,427 to help maintain the basic education programs in the district. This is an important issue for ACGC voters to consider.
If the proposed levy fails, the district will likely be forced to reduce or eliminate additional programs, including some extra-curricular programs. If this occurs, it may become a growing concern for students and parents.
When that happens, students and parents may start voting with their enrollment and move to other districts. If the movement those students and their state funding move to other districts reaches significant number and the declining enrollment continue, the district will likely face additional budget cuts.
Though financially strapped in recent years, ACGC has had many student successes, both scholastically and athletic wise.
The School Board has worked hard to address voter concerns. The members have made necessary budget cuts to address its statutory operation debt. A leadership change brought a new superintendent.
Now it is time for voters to put "Kids First" and support this levy proposal for the future of ACGC and its students.
