It is my opinion that if we look at the upcoming levy as a vehicle to pass judgment on how well our school district effects the education of our students, we are making a significant error. The levy represents an opportunity for us to fulfill an obligation to our community. That obligation is to honor and nurture the youth demographic of Oak Harbor, thereby working to sustain the town’s vitality. It is an obligation that every town has if it is to remain vital and healthy as a community. 

If we feel that our school district is not doing an adequate job in the education of our children it is incumbent on us to work to change that by getting involved in our schools, by volunteering at the various school buildings, running for a school board position, voicing opinions at school board meetings, calling for change where we see it necessary. Withholding funding for the town’s educational system in an effort to voice displeasure at how well or poorly our district does its job is cutting our nose off to spite our face.

It will only hurt the chances for that system to do its job. The change we would see is reduced services and less effectiveness in the teaching of our children, which I’m sure is quite the reverse effect from the one we would want.

I believe that this community made a morally correct decision to establish this levy. By doing so we agreed to share in the responsibility for their education. Having established that position, choosing not to continue our contribution is to take a step back from that responsibility and I believe it would be a statement our children would hear and understand as a vote against them.

This responsibility is not just the responsibility of parents either. As the whole community benefits from the development of the youth we raise here, we are all bound to support that development. It would be hard to speak of Oak Harbor as a town which is a good place to raise children if we cannot say we support and work with our school system. 

This letter is not intended to shame or scold anyone. Instead, I hope that it helps to remind us of our obligation as a community to develop and nurture our children and families and that the levy is at the heart of that obligation.

I truly enjoy and appreciate being a part of this community and I hope to see Oak Harbor state definitively that we stand behind our children and families. 

Continuing our commitment to their development is an opportunity given us on March 8. I know what my response to that opportunity will be.  

Tom Coe

Oak Harbor