The final item on the board's to do list before it can finally begin its $238 million high school replacement program is the Act 34 hearing for the new Harriton high school. The hearing, to be held on September 21st at 7 PM at the current Harriton high school, is the last chance that the citizens will have to demand that the board hold a referendum vote to ensure that the community has a say in what will be the largest expenditure in the history of the township.
The debt incurred for the two new high schools will prove to be an extraordinary burden on the community at a time when interest rates are rising, home sales are slowing, and the funding levels for the teacher's pension program are the lowest in years. Surely, given the historic amount of debt we are about to take on, the board should want to make sure the community understands what is about to happen.
Well, nothing could be further from the truth. By law, the board must advertise the date for the hearing at least 20 days in advance. Yet, did the Superintendent put a word about Act 34 in the District Digest that he mailed to every household in June? No! Does the lmsd.org website have this information prominently displayed? No! But don't worry, they are in compliance. In the August 31st edition in the Main Line Times on page 30, you will find the obscure notice. The fact is, the board is afraid of Act 34 and has expended a tremendous effort to avoid the automatic referendum vote triggered by the Act under certain circumstances. That means the only way you will have a say is if you come to the meeting and demand a vote.
Even if you agree with the board's plan to raise taxes 50% over the next few years to cover the cost of two extremely expensive schools, you must recognize the risks. What if the community becomes aware that we are over-building Harriton and at a cost that is twice that spent per student in other prominent districts and then refuses to approve the tax increase necessary to cover the second high school (the new Act 1 will likely provide for a vote in 2008)? Or, what if your elderly neighbor can't pay her taxes and has to move? Or, what if the 2012 tax increase to cover the shortfall in funding for the teacher's pension system is as large as the district currently suggests? Or, what if the business community that came across City Line Avenue for the tax advantage is lured back to the City because we can no longer compete and, as a result of this massive revenue loss, Moody's pulls our AAA bond rating? Or, what if the district does severely cut education programs because enough money to cover the bad judgment of the current board simply doesn't exist (even in Lower Merion)? Surely, if any of these came to pass, you would want the piece of mind of knowing that the community had a say. So gather your friends and neighbors, come to the Act 34 hearing on September 21st and demand a referendum vote. This is our last chance!
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