Dear Editor,

We would like to encourage the South Tama voters to support the South Tama County School District by voting YES to extend the STC’s Revenue Purpose Statement on April 5th.

In 2008, Iowa lawmakers designated a penny of the state tax collected on every dollar of eligible sales in Iowa to go to a statewide fund entitled Secure Advanced Vision for Education or SAVE, that generates funds for school infrastructure projects. A YES vote at the polls on Tuesday will allow South Tama to have and keep local control. Otherwise, the State gets to tell us what we can do with OUR money.

In the past, this money has allowed us to help pay down the debt levy for the elementary school, purchase new buses, replace the school boiler, and make roof repairs.

The vote will NOT RAISE TAXES! The vote will NOT INCREASE THE $.01 sales tax. This is a correct statement of how the money is allocated. Any other version would be incorrect. We are only voting to extend OUR revenue purpose statement so that we can have local control over OUR money.

It is, also true, that if we do not vote YES on Tuesday, that our bonding power will be diminished in that our loan rates will be higher because the bonders will believe that those who send their children to the STC School District do not have confidence in their school. A no vote would be costly.

We believe that a strong public education is vitally important. We believe in the South Tama County School District, its citizens, and most importantly, its children.

Please vote YES on Tuesday, April 5th to extend the STC’s Revenue Purpose Statement.

Jeff Shaw

Mary Fasse-Shaw

Toledo