I would like to implore residents of Beech Grove and other local areas to turn out and say no to the school funding ballot referendums this election cycle.

Yard signs in Beech Grove plead for voters to "save the school buses,’’ shrewdly implying that a no vote is bad for children. In fact, just the opposite will be true.

A yes vote means that there will be more public school waste, less incentive for better local charter school options to arise, and no difficult choices made to streamline expenses in local school budgets. In the long run, there will be more budget shortfalls, and more inefficiently educated children. Do you see Roncalli asking for your money? No. For Roncalli to exist, administrators and teachers must control costs and educate well.

Finally, a yes vote means saying “no thanks” to the property tax cap so many residents begged their legislators for. Aside from denying your new right to lower property taxes, your taxes will be higher than every local area. If you plan on selling your house for a financial gain in the future, a yes vote will make that tougher. New residents to the area will choose those towns and counties that don’t fund their schools with local taxes, which, by the way, will keep rising.

Kory T. Bell

Beech Grove