Letters to the Editor
Perfect Storm for Berkshire’s Future
Multiple systems have been colliding in the Berkshire Local School District and it is creating a perfect storm that will last for generations.
Two pieces of legislation (House Bill 148 and House Bill 438) were both passed in the Ohio House of Representatives and one was co-sponsored by a Republican and a Democrat. The consolidation of Ledgemont Schools was able to happen due to one of those bills.
The state of Ohio will pay 55 percent of the cost of a majority of the project, which was at 7 percent before the two house bills and Ledgemont territory transfer occurred.
The first-ever bond for a school has been taken on by the USDA and it’s ours with a capped 3.5 percent interest rate.
Our broken national education system is being demolished and a new project-based/collaborative model of education is being built. With a taxpayer’s increased cost of 3.65 mils ($10.64 per month for a $100,000 home market value) to build a $50 million-dollar educational center and community hub, this is truly a perfect storm that provides the Berkshire community a chance to prepare young people for the future better than ever before.
As a former teacher, current businessman and proud member of the PRIME (Partners in Rural Innovative Models of Education) Committee, I feel I have a unique perspective on this project and have not been as excited about participating in a project as much as I have been with this one.
Stemming from a consolidation project in Geauga County years ago, it has evolved into a Pre-K through 12th Grade campus that will be housed and partnered with Kent State Geauga’s campus. This affords a tremendous opportunity for students to be able to graduate with an Associate Degree at no expense.
Additionally, the college credits that students can earn during their high school education would be accepted and are fully transferrable to any public university in the state of Ohio, greatly reducing the cost of higher education.
There are other opportunities through partnerships with University Hospitals, Auburn Career Center and other local business to provide pathways into becoming a medical assistant, getting involved in the trades or mechanic field, all at no additional cost and housed on one campus.
Instead of starting down a path that might end up being not the right direction for them and not being able to turn around without cost, students will now be exposed to countless more opportunities in which they can choose to participate, in addition to their curriculum.
Berkshire Schools will be making critical thinkers, hands-on problem solvers and team-oriented young adults who are ready for higher education, the workplace, and/or the military, not just great test takers who must pick-and-choose their opportunities.
Every decision, discussion and meeting that PRIME has had has one core element: We must to do what is best for the future of Berkshire students.
It is also important to us that this project does not negatively impact its surrounding community, but rather draws positive attention, retains its students who are currently open-enrolled elsewhere and encourages local growth.
There are unfounded concerns this project and the sale of its current buildings will somehow turn some of the district’s tight-knit, quaint communities (specifically Burton Village) into something they are not. We have been working closely with the Burton Village Council, multiple townships’ trustees and community groups, and will not proceed with something that does not meet their or its residents’ approval.
Berkshire students and parents are part of that community. As a Berkshire alumni, I know how special this area is and want to keep it that way as much as those of you reading this. This is not a hindrance or degradation to our unique district, but rather another way to make our community even more special for decades to come.
With all the negatives and poor rankings that our national education system has been garnering (with good reason), Berkshire Schools and its supporters have an incredible opportunity to set an example of how successful our education could be by providing its students with a new model of teaching, along with a state-of-the-art facility that supports that model at minimal taxpayer expense.
I urge you to web-search, make phone calls, attend one of our meetings and have conversations about this opportunity. As you do, I’m sure you will realize what great potential PRIME has and what it could mean for the future.
Daniel Berman
Huntsburg Township
More Guns Don’t Make Us Safer
I read with interest your article about the bill being drafted to provide for more school resource officers in an effort to prevent future gun violence in schools. I applaud the effort, though there are myriad other ways that are proven to successfully address issues that cause gun violence in the first place and ensure that people who shouldn’t have guns in the first place don’t.
Gov. Kasich is now pushing for many of them and I urge our legislators to support them.
I also don’t forget for a minute that Rep. LaTourette, who was quoted in the article about SROs, is also currently sponsoring a stand-your-ground bill/de facto permitless carry bill, which would allow people to carry hidden, loaded handguns in public without a permit or safety training.
I also don’t forget that in 2016 she co-sponsored a bill that now allows guns in daycares, on college campuses and in airports.
This legislative cycle she co-sponsored a bill that has already passed in the Ohio House that would encroach on private property rights by allowing people to bring hidden, loaded handguns into places like schools, churches and private businesses, even on private property has a “no guns allowed” sign posted.
Multiple studies have now shown that more guns in more places do not make us safer and I ask that in the future she reconsider support of dangerous gun bills like these.
Leah Knapp
Bainbridge Township
YES for Berkshire Schools
I am enthusiastically voting ‘Yes’ on May 8 for the Berkshire School District’s PRIME initiative for many reasons.
Most importantly, I am voting for our children. The PRIME (Partners in Rural Innovative Models of Education) initiative will give our students in Ledgemont, Claridon, Burton and Troy cutting edge technology and instruction for college and/or the work force.
Imagine a scenario where our students and community could have a state-of-the-art educational facility and the State would pay for 55 percent of the total building cost. It is true! What an exciting opportunity for the Berkshire School District and the entire community.
If you don’t have children attending school in the district or your children are grown, think about how this will have a positive impact on your property value. All eyes are on this unique opportunity and when it passes more people will want to be a part of our community.
If you have questions, please direct them to the Superintendent, Administrative team or a PRIME committee member. They will be happy to respond. Better yet, try and attend a scheduled meeting with a presentation and a slide show describing the project. Don’t let misinformation determine your decision.
PRIME will hopefully be a reality soon. Current eighth-graders could be the first graduating class. Our children need and deserve this opportunity. Please say ‘Yes’ to our children and their education.
Susie Burzanko
Claridon Township
