Did you attend public schools? While you probably didn’t realize it at that time, I hope you realize now, as an adult, that taxpayers in the community you grew up in paid for your education.

That is the case for my wife and I; both of us attended public schools at least part of the time. We are grateful that taxpayers in the towns we grew up in were willing to fund our schools so we could get an education and become productive members of society. Isn’t it time for you to pay that forward to the next generation of children?

If you don’t believe in the pay-it-forward concept, consider this: according to a February 2023 article in Money, Inc, using median home income as the measure, Fountain Hills has the sixth-highest per-capita income of the cities and towns in the Phoenix metro area, behind Paradise Valley, Scottsdale, Litchfield Park, Queen Creek and Gilbert, in that order.

My wife and I are retired and on a semi-fixed income. None of our children attended school in Fountain Hills but they did attend public schools where they grew up. Thus, we are willing to pay the less-than 26 cents per day for the bond — the alleged “massive tax hike.” That is less than the out-the-door price of a Starbucks coffee every 16-31 days. We’re willing to give up that much for our community.

How about you? Will you join us in supporting the local school district and thus Fountain Hills in general? By the way, the tax on a $1 million home is less than 71 cents per day. If you vote no, who are you hurting? The children of our community. Why do they deserve that?