We are very pro-active about getting our school budgets passed. We send out flyers reminding all the parents to get out and vote and our phone chain is also used the day before to urge the parents to get out and vote. You can't tell people how to vote....just remind them to go out and vote. Our BOE also always sends letters to the paper about why the budget is needed. Parents also sending letters to the paper can help. One great reminder to people is that the quality of the school reflects the values of people's homes. If you have a bad school then your town is not a beacon for anyone with children to move there and the house values in towns with good schools are much higher.
Ask the towns people. A letter to the editor in your hometown paper (see if they'll let you sign it as a parent to avoid embarrasment at the grocery store) asking the people of your fair town how do we pay our teachers, how do we fund our buses, how do we keep families in our town when we don't have a good school anymore? Remind them of the good 'ol days and I wouldn't blame or point finger but ask what happened?
I grew up in a small town in Iowa and my old school is now being forced to merge with a rival neighbor. Everything should be done by fall and it breaks my heart. My parents (they own a small cafe in town) told me that folks just won't pay their taxes and are fighting how much to pay so the first to lose is the school. The City government functions fine but the school is being forced by the state of Iowa to merge. As much finger pointing and blaming has happened, many are seeing what happened and they are the alumni...esp. the ones on the School Board.
Right now, I would ask for a meeing with someone from the City Council you know you can talk to about this and ask how the city can rally around their school. Not sure where you are but would all the restrants/cafes/bars be willing to donate a percent of their sales? An idea.
Other than that, that's all I got! HA! Hope that helps.
Have any of the other members here had problems with the town/school budget. We are currently underfunded and have had to make cuts at our schools. We need some new and inovative ways to either raise money or get a great action plan to get the town people behind us. We have tried for a prop 2 1/2 over ride which did not pass. So it is back to the drawing boards. Any ideas would be great - as our children deserve better.
