To the editor:

It is with great pride that I write and encourage voters to vote “Yes” on the Nov. 8 Sidney City Schools P.I. Levy. I graduated from Sidney High School in 2013, and the lessons I learned during my time in the Sidney City Schools system are invaluable to me.

Voting is important and I strongly encourage everyone to get to their polling places between now and Nov. 8. Perhaps even more important than voting itself is being informed while doing so. There are a number of reasons to vote in favor of the Sidney City Schools P.I. levy.

Understanding the definition of the P.I. levy is important. P.I. stands for Permanent Improvement, meaning the money collected by this levy can ONLY be used for the repair and upgrade of facilities. The money CANNOT be used for salaries, wages, or benefits.

Without this P.I. levy, funds for these expenses have been taken from the general fund. The general fund can no longer withstand the amount of money needed. By passing this levy, voters can ensure that students in the Sidney City Schools system can rely on buses, textbooks, technology, and more without the general fund suffering as a result.

Having experienced hot classrooms in the early months of school, and cold classrooms in the winter months, I can ensure you that the upkeep of these school facilities is critical to a positive learning environment. Children of all ages in the Sidney City Schools system are facing these problems, and it’s important that the community does its part to support them.

I encourage voters who are on the fence about this issue to visit sidneycityschoolslevy.org for more information so than informed votes can be cast on Nov. 8.

Thank you, and Go Jackets!

Austin Elmore

Sidney