My call to action--

Here's a letter I've sent to any and everyone I can think of... If you want to send it out at your schools, be my guest:

Friends and Neighbors,

Many of you know how much our family has loved our experience with EK Powe and the Durham Public Schools this year. Our son Lars has grown so much; he is reading and doing math, but our biggest pleasure has been our unexpected discovery of the greater DPS community. What a treasure we have with our Bull City Schools!

Unfortunately, due to economic circumstances out of the control of Durham's elected officials, (hello Recession?), the DPS budget is facing draconian cutbacks not only THIS year, potentially laying off over 237 teachers and increasing class size by over three students, but due to the end of Federal Stimulus dollars, the 2011-2012 budget looks even worse-- no local dollars for increasing much needed after school or preschool programs; no local dollars for staff development to implement new programs to increase reading proficiency-- no local dollars for providing new supplies to teachers to implement cutting edge teaching practices-- no local dollars for much needed improvements to school buildings and school grounds. Only the Federal Stimulus dollars kept DPS afloat this year, and the year after next they will be running out. (NC already ranks 11th out of 12 southeastern states in per pupil spending.)

Fortunately, there is a solution to the problem. Last week, the School Board courageously passed a budget that cuts 60 central office staff, athletic supplements, reducing grounds keeping services, and many other services, but attempts to maintain 237 classroom teachers. Our elected officials even REDUCED their own very limited stipend by $300 dollars. Everyone in DPS understands the need to make sacrifices and change the way they do business. This is where we need, you, Durham's voters, to take action: If this $16 million dollars was raised without cutting other county programs but solely through a tax increase, it would mean approximately a .05 cent tax increase for schools to County property owners. This would mean an extra $100 a year on a $200,000 house. $100 dollars a year or the cost of two sausage biscuits a week from Bojangles...mmmm... seems a very small price to pay for continuing the investment we have in our children.

I'm asking all of you to write, call, email and talk to your County Commissioners and let them know that you want them to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to maintain our schools. Durham has a rich tradition of supporting our schools. Now, we are heading in new directions in Durham, let you Commissioners know that they need to keep us headed in the right direction.

Thanks for your support,

Michael Oehler, 1300 Alabama Ave
www.supportdurhamschools.blogspot.com


County Commissioners:
Michael Page, chair, mpage@durhamcountync.gov
Brenda Howerton, bhowertown@durhamcountync.gov
Becky Heron, bmheron@durhamcountync.gov
Joe Bowser, jbowser2@nc.rr.com
Ellen Reckhow, vice chair, ereckhow@gmail.com