I strongly urge you to vote Yes on the school Bond Referendum on May 16. The economic rationale is undeniable. Strength of schools is a primary consideration among home buyers. Consider these stats from a national survey of home buyers by Realtor.com in 2013:
• 90 percent said school boundaries are “important” and “somewhat important.”
• Nearly 60 percent said they would pay as much as 20 percent above budget to live within chosen school boundaries.
Strong schools make your house more valuable—period.
We are fortunate to have incredibly strong schools in this town. US News & World Reports rates Great Neck North High School and Great Neck South High School among the best on Long Island (#3 and #6, respectively; both among the top 1 percent of schools in the entire country). The leaders of our high-performing system are proposing a new budget that will both maintain and continue to improve upon our schools. Why would you choose to ignore their advice?
Will a successful bond referendum guarantee strong continued performance by our schools? The track record of the Great Neck School System suggests yes. And the opposite is certainly true; a vote against the bond is a vote in favor of crumbling infrastructure, program cutbacks, larger class sizes and limited ability to invest in the future of our children.
In sum:
• Strong schools make for strong and desirable communities.
• Our schools are among the best of the best in the nation.
• The locally and nationally celebrated leadership teams that have contributed to our success are advocating for a budget to keep our schools and our community strong.
To me, the choice could not be more clear:
1. Vote Yes on May 16.
2. Vote for board candidates who have publicly and enthusiastically voiced support for our public schools and the upcoming bond vote.
3. Encourage friends, family and neighbors to do #1 and #2.
—Jonathan Paisner
