The real cost of saying no to KLSD Prop 3

Dear Editor,

I want to share my thoughts on Proposition No. 3.

I understand why this proposition raises questions about cost and whether this is the best long-term approach. Preschool currently costs $12,000–$16,000 a year, out of reach for many. The tax impact for LES construction is $18/month for a $1 million home, or $9/month for a $500,000 assessed home.

This is far less than $16,000/year for preschool. I understand that any tax increases are a concern for families, and I recognize the burden it may bring. But that burden is incomparable to the strain on families paying $16,000/year for preschool. Education is a right, not a privilege. Therefore, early education must be accessible to all.

Moving fifth-graders to JJMS is not realistic. I can tell you from firsthand experience that there simply isn't enough room for 200 more students. The hallways are packed, and this is an unrealistic way to approach UPK. Furthermore, our fifth-graders need to be in elementary school; we are not ready at that age to jump to middle school.

Moreover, the ‘do-nothing’ LES cost is $7.5 million. Our other schools lack space for 200 preschoolers and would need construction. Preschool classrooms require 900 square feet and must have an attached bathroom. None of our current buildings have that infrastructure.

The state is expected to fund UPK, providing $10,000 per student. We already pay those taxes and deserve that funding to come back to KLSD.

Please base your decision on facts, not on speculations circulating.

Vote YES on Proposition No. 3. Support our families, expand access to education, and invest in our future. Every year we wait, families face unreasonable costs, and our children miss out. Let’s continue uplifting our community, not restricting.

-Hudson Lutz, junior at John Jay High School