I think we can all agree that it is the responsibility of our state and national governments to take care of funding our public schools. However, we can probably all also agree that neither of those entities are holding up their end of the bargain.

Our teachers are holding up their end of the bargain. With less and less each year, they continue to educate their students to the standard of excellence expected from Ada City Schools. Our students are doing their jobs. They come to school every day, ready to learn and expecting the type of education associated with Ada City Schools. Administration is doing its job, making tough decisions, cutting budgets where necessary to try to retain the best and the brightest to educate our youth, making budget cuts when necessary but trying to maintain the highest level of opportunity and supplies for our students. However, it is getting harder for this job to be done with less and less each year.

Today, as you go to the polls, you will be asked to consider a school bond issue (Propositions I and II). Again, keep in mind, while we are probably still on the same page that it is the responsibility of our government to ensure financial support for our schools, we may have differing opinions on what happens next once said government fails to do its job.

Let me walk you through a hypothetical scenario.

Let’s say you take your sick child to the doctor. It is the responsibility of this doctor to make your child well again. If this doctor did not hold up his or her end of the bargain, and did not, In fact, make your child well again, what would your next step be?

Would your next step be to seek additional help from another doctor or another medical facility, even if you have to pay another bill or another co-pay?

Or would your next step be to continue to sit back and watch your child’s health deteriorate because it was the doctor’s job to make him better? Most of us would probably choose the first option: seek additional help elsewhere.

That is the purpose of this school bond issue. The sick child in question is our underfunded school system. The school bond issue is us realizing that the doctor, who was supposed to make things better, failed to do their job, and now, even if it costs us a little more, we have to get a second opinion. We have to seek additional help.

Asking you to vote yes today is Ada City Schools seeking additional help from you, the voters. While I know, believe me I know, it should not your responsibility to pick up the government’s slack, yet again, and fund our schools, I would also hope that when your child’s school is sick, you help us seek a second opinion. I would hope you would not send your child’s school back to the same incompetent doctor who could not find a cure.

Vote yes today, not because the government shouldn’t be held financially responsible… vote yes today for a brighter future for our schools and our students because holding out for Dr. Oklahoma to find a cure, may have dire consequences for our patient.