Mayor does a disservice to schools
Criticizing scientifically sound COVID-19 policies can only hurt Valparaiso students
In 2009, Indiana’s Republican-led legislature overhauled the state’s public education funding system, resulting in steep cuts in funding to local school districts.
Since that time, public school districts across Indiana have turned to the state’s referendum process, asking voters to voluntarily increase their property taxes, in order to make up for that shortfall in state funding of our public education system.
The Valparaiso Community Schools went to voters in 2015 asking taxpayers to raise their local property taxes in an effort to stabilize the funding of Valpo schools. That campaign had the bipartisan support of local elected officials. Taxpayers responded resoundingly in favor, by a margin of 2-1.
Fast forward to 2021. State funding of Indiana’s public schools remains below that of surrounding states, as well as the national average. School districts still turn to local taxpayers to adequately fund their public schools. With an expiration date on Valparaiso’s referendum funding set to expire soon, VCS recently announced that they will again go to taxpayers to extend the voluntary property tax increase to make up for the shortfall in state school funding.
It would be expected that Valparaiso residents would willingly continue to support our excellent public school system by funding next year’s referendum. Unfortunately, that may not be the case.
Despite following the Porter County Health Department and local physician recommendations for the mitigation and prevention of COVID-19, the VCS superintendent and school board have come under attack.
A group of parents armed with scientific disinformation, lack of empathy for the victims of COVID-19 and claims of constitutional rights to not follow social contracts, have repeatedly engaged at VCS board meetings with angry rhetoric, calls for immediate resignations, and personal attacks.
This group has announced an active campaign to defund VCS schools by encouraging Valparaiso residents to vote against the 2022 referendum because the school board decided to protect teachers, students and the community from COVID19. These parents attempted and failed to impede the passing of the Hebron Schools referendum this past Tuesday.
These pro-COVID, anti-mask parents also went to the last Valparaiso City Council meeting to make their case.
When hearing the scientifically barren pleas of these parents, Mayor Matt Murphy failed his elected leadership. Rather than voice support for the VCS school board and superintendent for following the medical community’s advice during a pandemic, he concurred, saying he didn’t like masking his own kids for school.
By putting his own personal feelings above the well-being of our schoolchildren and staff, the mayor demonstrated he is not on the side of our schools. He had an opportunity to admonish those that seek to defund our schools and he chose not to side with teachers, staff and students. If next year’s referendum does not pass, local jobs will be lost and our students will suffer.
An excellent school system is the foundation of a strong community, it’s an investment in our future!
The students, teachers and taxpayers of Valparaiso deserve a mayor and City Council that support the 2022 VCS referendum.