Why should we pass the Cave Creek school district override?
We are hemorrhaging teachers in this district. It boils down to the fact that we are not competitive in teacher pay in our area. The backdrop of a national teacher shortage does not help. Fuel this fire with rising gas prices and rent. Not only can a teacher ill afford to live and work here, it’s not economical to even commute to our district. The override would allow us to increase teacher pay, NOT administrative salaries. We need this override right now to battle these persistent, lasting economic changes.
Have you read your latest property tax assessment? I saw ours actually go down this year. There has never been a better time to pass an override. It’s a useful tool that even districts like Fountain Hills have in place to battle unexpected costs that frequently challenge any school’s planned budget.
Whether you support school vouchers or not, many of our working parents with more than one child don’t have the resources to go outside the public school system. It’s not logistically or financially possible. Private and charter schools can never fully meet the needs of our community. And do we really think private schools will become affordable once they start receiving state funding? Probably not. They will increase their tuition rates in the face of any rise in operation costs, rendering a private education still out of reach for most middle class parents. We can’t abandon our public school system. Our middle class depends on it.
Still on the fence? Consider these facts.
Our schools in this district are not teaching CRT or any of these other controversial subjects of our time. If you have witnessed or experienced untoward influence in your child or grandchild, chances are they have been bombarded by YouTube and social media. Even the most diligent parents among us are experiencing the power these platforms have over our lives. Its awful. These crazy ideas popping up all over the place are not originating from our schools and teachers in this district. They are not to blame.
As school districts all over the country and our state remained closed for over a year, our district reopened in person learning in September 2020 amid the Covid pandemic. Those with vulnerable students or family members were provided the support they needed to remain remote. In the face of Covid fears and the absence of any real leadership, the Cave Creek school board bravely voted to reopen our schools. It was a scary time for all of us. Our teachers rose to the occasion and our kids wouldn’t have to fall behind like most in this nation. We are so fortunate!
Our district has proven time and time again that it can do more with less, but I believe it’s at a breaking point. I’ve seen and experienced how hard our teachers work to serve our kids. We do not qualify to receive federal funding and a portion of our property taxes actually leaves the district as it’s allocated for other districts with lower property values. The teachers union does not have a big footprint or influence here, as evident by our return to in-person learning early in the 20/21 school year. The voucher system could absolutely rout our district. Most of our families will not be able to opt for home, private or charter alternatives as the public system declines. We are at a pivotal moment in this community. We can’t afford to sit back and let the Cave Creek public schools fall behind under these historic pressures.
It’s time to show our support with the passing of this override.
Thank you for your time!
Sincerely,
Julie Cailliet
Cave Creek
