I strongly urge the good people of Fountain Hills to vote in favor of the school override.

This is not a new tax but an extension of the override we have voted in since 1999. This will not increase your taxes. It is imperative that we support our schools.

The state has done a lot of harm to our educational system by drastically reducing the funding we get from the state. As a result, class sizes are too large, achievement too low, teachers too stressed, underpaid, and quitting the profession, and our children not getting the high level of education that is needed today.

We need an educated population to help stop the world’s woes. As our schools get short-changed, we add more prisons. The dropout rate in high school and college is shameful. We have a shortage of skilled workers and so must import talent from other countries. Is there a connection?

I had the privilege of working with a county program to help homeless people get their GEDs so that they become employable. I volunteered as a teacher and I got to hear their stories and watch their struggles, most of which was caused by their dropping out of high school and going downhill from there.

Is this what we want for our children and our country? We must put a stop to this. Support your schools and vote!