Let’s see if I have got this somewhere close to right. Education in the U.S. is ranked near the bottom as compared with the rest of the developed countries of the world. Ohio, as compared to the other states of the union is ranked either 48th or 49th.

Why is this? For 200 years we have firmly believed in public education for everyone. The law says that you must attend through grade 12 or until you reach 16 years of age. A good education can be achieved if the pupil and the parents want it and work hard for it. In many of the countries who out-rank us, they educate those who want it and work for it. The others are pushed off on the scrap heap of humanity. America is and always has been the land of opportunity for anyone who wants and is willing to work for it.

A recent national poll indicated 80 percent of our citizens are feeling “cranky.” Is it any wonder? Our faith and trust in our government is at an all time low. The foundations of our institutions - financial, judicial, healthcare and even religious are starting to crumble with education leading the hit parade. Despite all of that, we still for the moment, live in the best country on earth.

Having said that, now look at the current mess in Springfield Township Schools. Our legislature continues to ignore, and has ignored for 17 years, a Supreme Court ruling which deemed our method of financing the schools as unconstitutional. Levies have repeatedly failed. We fall into the emergency category. The board got blind-sided by a 500K reduction because of a reduction in property values, the hole deepened. The state sends in its Dream Team to tell the local board what to do.

Springfield Township has always been one of the most complex demographic areas in the county. There has never been an issue or candidate that was approved without carrying the Village of Lakemore. Recently the trustees sent out a questionnaire to all the residents soliciting their opinions on what some of the important issues which needed addressed. My response was for them to do all they could to support our school system, because one of the top priority items for growth and improvement in our community is education and don’t do anything stupid.

Well, the school board, not trustees, did three stupid things in a row. First, not advising the village and township officials of the problem. Secondly, for very marginal reasons, choosing to close Lakemore School. The Mayor of Lakemore, Mr. Kolomichuk had a valid point, the big guy does appear to wear his heart on his sleeve and sometimes tends to shoot and asks questions later. You don’t have to wonder where he stands on an issue. He is moving Lakemore ahead, some are kicking and screaming, but he is moving them.

The third and fatal mistake that both the state commission and local board made was not to pass the motion by Mr. Ray, the Lakemore police chief and a member of the state commission, to take a couple of days to explore some other solutions with township and village officials and possibly place a lower common sense levy on the ballot. One of the local board members even made the statement that this is school board business not the township or village. Brilliant. I think that the board passed up a real opportunity by not asking Mr. Kolomichuk to head a levy committee along with a trustee, the likes of a Vince Mealy. I would bet that the Las Vegas odds for a winner would be 6-5.

This problem is statewide and it is a huge one. Gov. Strickland appears to recognize the seriousness of the situation. In the mean time, we must just suck it up and educate our kids the best we can. Some folks say, the people have spoken, give them what they want - nothing. I don’t buy that.

The problem goes much further than money. We must rethink how we educate our children. The whole system needs to be revamped, from kindergarten through college. It is bankrupt from both the dollar and the system integrity standpoint. Bureaucrats must be flushed out and legislators activated to do their job. I may be wrong, maybe our educational system started failing a long time ago and all we can do is keep sliding down the slippery slope until our property values reach the bottom. Then we can complain about the high rent we are paying the Arabs and the Chinese for the little patch of ground where we have our tent staked.

Harry Miller
Springfield