Dear Editor,
I am encouraged that people have come forward to take a stand to stick up for our children and Tioga Central School, with efforts to rally support for the revised budget. I believe that those who have softened their position, following the reduced budget proposal, and say they will now chose to support Tioga, are to be commended. Hopefully, we can stand together to help our school and our community become a place where families want to settle, because of what we have to offer them and their children. A school, strong academically, athletically, and one with the extra curricular activities that will help give them the complete educational experience them need to succeed in life.
It only makes sense to try to build as strong a school as we possibly can, to help our community recover, grow and our kids succeed. Our record of accomplishment is well known. Remember, this year’s reduced tax rate we will be voting on, of $10.91, compares very favorably with last year’s rates of $13.67, $18.22, $19.40, $20.54, and $21.49 for the five other county schools.
This tax increase of $1.61 per one thousand dollars (true value) or $161.00 per one hundred thousand dollars (true value) figures out to pennies per day. Starting out at two hundred thousand dollars (true value) I believe it is $6.17 a week or 89 cents per day. At one hundred fifty thousand (true value) it is $4.63 a week or 66 cents per day. At one hundred thousand (true value) $3.09 a week or 44 cents per day. At seventy five thousand dollars (true value) it is $2.39 a week or 34 cents a day. At fifty thousand dollars (true value) $1.54 a week or 22 cents per day. (Most of us “fall” into one of these categories.) If you are eligible for the Star or enhanced Star program, please make the effort to sign up. The savings are significant. It’s a big help to us, personally.
I wish every one of us that is able to get out and around would be open to taking advantage of what the school has to offer the community at large. For example, using the pool, attending concerts, academic challenge events (such as ATS Scholarship Challenge) or the various athletic contests that are held through out the school year. It is more fun than you think and it’s more than reasonable entertainment. Any school event except for theatrical productions are free for seniors and it certainly beats most TV programming. (I say most because, apparently, everyone has their favorite shows.) It’s a great opportunity to get out and be with people, renew acquaintances and meet new folks and support our kids. This is very helpful, especially if you don’t have family members participating. You learn from your “seat neighbors” who they are “there for” and you get to know them pretty well, because when you take an interest in their child, grandchild, great grandchild or neighbor kid you have something in common with them. Practice doing this and it won’t be long before attending games, etc. will be a very up lifting experience, for there will be many people acknowledging you and making you feel at home. You will get to know who the kids are and, knowing this only adds interest to the game. A big plus to “adopting” all the participants as “your own” is you see all the kids as a team and you root for all of them the same. That’s what we do. We tell people, “If they are wearing blue and gold, they belong to “us”. It works for us. It will work for you too, if you try it. It will also affect your attitude and cause you to think of the school as an asset to the community instead of a liability to you personally.
Sincerely,
Doug Graves
Tioga Center. N.Y.
