What a Difference a Town Makes
In my years covering news and doing radio in small towns, attitudes can differ greatly from town to town. Anyone who says people are the same where ever you go has never really traveled or taken the time to learn a community.
Take for example, the people of Rabun County, GA and Union County, SC. People living in both communities claim to care about their children and want the best for their children. Be it education, recreation, community or culture. But they go about it in very different ways.
In 1999, Union SC was asked to vote for a 50 million dollar referendum that would have built a new junior high school, added enough new classrooms to eliminate the more than 50 portable (see trailers) classrooms used through the county and would have consolidated efforts and would have saved money long term as far as transportation costs were concerned. More than 80 percent of the population voted against the referendum. Most said...'our kids are doing fine...why should we spend the money when our schools are fine.' When the truth was and remains the same today, the schools in Union County, SC need improvement. I'm not saying they don't have fine teachers because they have great teachers. But the building needs are gigantic. Schools that have never been taken care of have such serious issues that when USA Today did a retrospective on poor classroom conditions across the country in 2000, they focused on Union County, SC schools. What an embarrassment.
In Rabun County, GA; the view is much different. There is a referendum on March 21st to extend a one percent local sales tax to improve our schools by building a new gymnasium, building a new fine arts center and converting the current gym and fine arts center to additional classrooms. I've heard no one speak out against the referendum. Not one person. I bet it will pass with 90 percent of the vote.
Once again, I'm not saying one community cares more about education than the other, one just sees the value in providing state of the art facilities and the other does not.
Take for example, the people of Rabun County, GA and Union County, SC. People living in both communities claim to care about their children and want the best for their children. Be it education, recreation, community or culture. But they go about it in very different ways.
In 1999, Union SC was asked to vote for a 50 million dollar referendum that would have built a new junior high school, added enough new classrooms to eliminate the more than 50 portable (see trailers) classrooms used through the county and would have consolidated efforts and would have saved money long term as far as transportation costs were concerned. More than 80 percent of the population voted against the referendum. Most said...'our kids are doing fine...why should we spend the money when our schools are fine.' When the truth was and remains the same today, the schools in Union County, SC need improvement. I'm not saying they don't have fine teachers because they have great teachers. But the building needs are gigantic. Schools that have never been taken care of have such serious issues that when USA Today did a retrospective on poor classroom conditions across the country in 2000, they focused on Union County, SC schools. What an embarrassment.
In Rabun County, GA; the view is much different. There is a referendum on March 21st to extend a one percent local sales tax to improve our schools by building a new gymnasium, building a new fine arts center and converting the current gym and fine arts center to additional classrooms. I've heard no one speak out against the referendum. Not one person. I bet it will pass with 90 percent of the vote.
Once again, I'm not saying one community cares more about education than the other, one just sees the value in providing state of the art facilities and the other does not.
posted by Adam Wright | 5:30 AM
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