Vote No Arlington, a newly-formed referendum committee, is organizing against the county’s 2020 public school bond. The committee is urging Arlingtonians to “send a message” to school board members by voting “no” on the bond.
“Arlington Public Schools must do better,” says Vote No Arlington founding member Geoff Olinde. “School officials have failed to prioritize the district’s most critical needs. With schools closed and enrollment falling, future capacity needs are currently unknown. Any new bonding this year should be laser-focused on just one goal: getting kids safely back in the classroom.”
Alexandra Bocian, a mother of three, says district leaders have lost her trust. “After county schools closed last semester, the district failed to educate students virtually — all lessons were review-only. This school year, the district still lacks a serious plan to reopen schoolhouse doors,” Bocian laments. “With such dismal results, district leaders shouldn’t expect us to raise their credit limit.”
The controversial school bond amounts to $52,650,000 in new debt, a figure Olinde considers too high, given Arlington’s budget situation. “Voters should weigh the long-term costs of adding more than $52 million to our county’s mounting debt obligations,” Olinde warns. “Tell Arlington Public Schools to go back to the drawing board and return with something better.”
Vote No Arlington is a grassroots network of citizens against the 2020 public school bond. Learn more at VoteNoArl.org and/or follow us on Twitter (@VoteNoArl).