The first step in solving a problem is acknowledging right where you are. Our school budget is in need of additional resources to save seven teaching positions and many programs for next school year. While there is absolutely value in approaching our Legislature to resolve the issues that have lead to the shortfall, this isn’t going to solve the immediate challenge our community is facing due to the funding gap.
It’s understandable that people might feel disillusioned about these continued financial shortages. However, a more empowering position might be to do what I believe most of us would encourage our children to do when they encounter a challenge in their own lives: find meaningful, workable solutions.
We have an ideal opportunity to model for our children how to work together to effectively solve a problem. During the first year of fundraising for the school budget deficit, just 20 percent of district families contributed. But with greater awareness and education last year, the number of contributing families doubled to 40 percent. Not only does this spread the financial responsibility across the community, but increased participation provides greater understanding of the core problem. This awareness is key in bringing about meaningful long-term change.
These statistics also signify a community in action, which is a powerful example for our children. Not only are we showing our kids that each of our contributions makes a difference, we’re demonstrating that a unified community is an effective tool for change.
One of our family’s mottos is “Many hands make for light work.” The greater the number of community members that participate, the more manageable the financial challenge becomes. Our budget deficit equates to about $30 per month per student. While we are grateful for the larger donations from our community, our greatest opportunity to achieve our $500,000 goal will be through expanding the number of families contributing to this valuable cause. Please consider supporting this important community effort.
— Amanda Winn
