To the Editor:

Troy, Ohio is one of the best family oriented communities we have ever lived in. Our city does an excellent job of always making sure things are appropriate, safe, and beneficial to our families. An opportunity has presented itself to make our family lives even better.

In March, you will see a Troy City Schools bond issue on the ballot. This is not the same proposal that most of us were scared by a few years ago. Since then, they have listened to our concerns to keep neighborhood schools! This new plan is completely different and suits the needs of all our families. This is exactly what we have all wanted and asked for!

What we want specifically is better security. Our home school is Cookson, and the entire building is windows. If someone wanted to do serious harm to our children, they just have to get through the glass. Once inside, simple wood doors that may or may not lock properly are all that separate our children from the intruder. Yes, there are security monitors in place to help monitor the traffic in and out of the front door, but anything can happen. There are also no security cameras on the playground. Many times there are issues after school but no proof to handle these matters. We also worry about vandalism or someone harming our school. With new buildings, all of these concerns would be relieved. We need better safety measures for our students and our staff. It is 2020. There is no excuse.

Safety goes hand in hand with the age of our buildings. They are simply beyond repair. Having the proposed new schools built will allow for more children to be closer to their homes and help parents feel better about their transportation/walking needs. On top of all that, with new buildings comes more efficiency. Our money can go toward teaching and helping our children instead of building repairs. We will have more inclusive and accessible schools and classrooms that we desperately need.

The current plan will cost about $20.71 monthly per $100K home value. We will receive approximately $31.8M in reimbursement from the State. Please consider supporting better security measures for our staff and students. Don’t let a bad incident be the reason for change.

— Alicia Wheeler, Laura Pellman and Brandy Tyler