Letter to the Editor

Letter in favor of the referendum

Friday, April 25, 2014

I grew up 5 miles north of Worthington on the Owen County line. Because of this I went to school all 12 years at Owen Valley High School. I was always drawn to Worthington for it's small town charm and peaceful neighborhoods. There was no question when my wife and I got married, we wanted to raise our family here.

At Owen Valley, there were just over 2,000 students. My class had just over 170 students and unlike Greene County, there was only one school system. That wasn't always the case though, Owen Valley is a consolidation of Coal City, Patricksburg, Freedom, Gosport and Spencer. As a result, I was getting on the bus at dark for a large part of the school year being the first ones on and last ones off for an hour bus ride. I'm sure there were still some remaining hard feelings in all of those communities left over from when they consolidated but we didn't realize it because we were a couple of generations removed from all of that. We did not know the Coal City Colts, Patricksburg Bulldogs, Freedom Aces, Gosport Bulldogs, or the Spencer Cops. As a matter of fact my generation was so far removed, I had to look those up.

What my generation did know is that we were the Owen Valley Patriots. The students, our parents and communities were all united in our support for all of our schools. I see this already happening with our current students. They have pride in their school and in being WOLVERINES.

Now having 10 years of raising our family in the WRV School district and developing relationships with friends and neighbors, I see an incredible opportunity for all of our communities to unite in support for our WRV WOLVERINES and make our schools the best they can be regardless of what the future holds. Any other discussion is premature. Consolidate with another school?...Another school consolidating with us?...Close an Elementary?...Consolidate administrations? Along with any other opinion, rumor, gossip or idea. Our responsibility is to support our kids and our schools TODAY by voting YES and passing the referendum so we are better prepared to have those conversations.

Curt Wilhoite