C.R. schools need maintenance dollars from PPEL

Last May my youngest son graduated from Washington High School. Over the last school year I spent a lot of time thinking about the “lasts” we were experiencing. His “last” first day of school in the CRCSD school district, his last practice, and his last big game.

With our son now off at college, I began a new year of “firsts.” It’s the first time my wife and I have an empty nest. It is the first time we don't have to rush to take those first-day-of-school pictures. This will be the first time I won't get early morning calls about no school. And now, for the first time, I will be a Director of Cedar Rapids Community School District’s Board of Education without kids actively attending. Even though this is my year of firsts, I want to create a legacy of "lasts" for the amazing students of CRCSD.

I want it to be the last time a student has to strain their ears just to hear the teacher due to the window AC unit running on maximum power. I want it to be the last time a student or parent who relies on a wheelchair has to go halfway around the school to use the ramp to enter and then use a stair lift to get to a classroom. I want it to be the last time I see a brown stained ceiling tile because there is, yet again, a leak in the roof.

On Sept. 10, we will go back to the polls for CRCSD and decide if we will support "Public Measure C," also known as the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy. Cedar Rapids voters have supported this levy for 50 years, and it has been vital for maintaining and sustaining CRCSD's infrastructure for not only preventive work but also for projects that "pop up" due to the age of the buildings. If renewed, "Public Measure C " will provide another decade of repair and maintenance funding to CRCSD. Renewing PPEL (Public Measure C) is not a new tax, and our taxes will remain the same, at $1.34 per $1,000 taxable valuation of your home.

If not renewed, my upcoming years may still be the year of firsts. With this funding, CRCSD will only have $2 million to $3 million dollars a year to maintain its infrastructure, enough to cover our "pop-up" repairs. This means our budget for preventive maintenance from PPEL will no longer continue. Therefore, it might be a year of firsts, like the first time we were not able to get kids to school because our bus fleet was not large enough, the first time we were unable to repair the parking lot or sidewalk, and the large cracks caused someone to get hurt. The first time we had to let a school go home early, not because of a snowstorm or frigid temperatures, but because the boiler broke down and we could not heat the school.

As I write these reflections, I realize that my role has evolved from being a parent of CRCSD students to someone who has a stake in ensuring the best possible future for the students yet to come. I embrace this responsibility wholeheartedly, and I implore my fellow community members to consider the significance of their vote and the lasting impact it will have on the educational journey of countless children.

David Tominsky is vice president, CRCSD Board of Education.