On Tuesday, the citizens of Franklin County rejected a $45 million school construction bond, their second school bond referendum in three years. Good job.
The sour grapes response from the school system reflects the frustration of school leaders who truly believe that their “for the children” appeals are infallible.
We understand that voters are uneasy with the economy and that the specter of additional taxes made many citizens wary of taking on this commitment at this time. We did believe, however, that despite this uneasiness, the people of Franklin County would step up to the plate for the benefit of our children. We are disappointed that voters turned their backs on something as important and as basic as classrooms for the children of this county.
I hear supporters of Wake County’s $1 billion bond express very similar sentiments on the N&O’s WakeEd blog. Interestingly, they believe that residents of Wake County should vote for the bond out of some intuitive affection for public schools, an appeal that does not go very far for voters who do not have school-aged children, homeschoolers, and those who send their children to private schools.
