Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

I am writing in support of the upcoming Maintenance and Operations Levy and the Capital Projects Levy. As a 26 year previous employee of the Dayton School District, I have extensive knowledge of the condition of the facilities and I know first-hand what has been done (and not been done) to maintain the facilities over the past 3 decades.

The custodial staff works diligently to maintain the facility to the best of their ability within the budget restrictions. Each year, the needs of the ground and facilities are reviewed and are prioritized based on the most immediate needs and the allocated budget. Every year there are targeted projects that do get done along with all of the routine work. There have been many years in which the needs far outweighed the budget. That is not an excuse, it is just the reality.

In a school environment, funding the program needs of the students are the first priority and that can interrupt scheduled and needed facility repairs. This results in deferred maintenance which has compounded over time. Deferring routine maintenance and needed projects ultimately increases the costs. The Dayton School District needs to tackle the deferred maintenance issues and that requires your support of the levies. Please vote yes for both levies.

John Hutchens

Dayton