Don't Hang Up on Education

With the upcoming election on June 5, as well as the celebration of National Volunteer Week, students, teachers and parents across the district have been phone banking to advocate for Measure W.

This 67-dollar-a-year parcel tax would generate a projected $1.7 million dollars for the Redwood City School District (RCSD) - that's more than $5 million dollars dispersed over the next three years.

The money acquired from the tax will benefit the elementary school programs and provide stable, local funding for Redwood City schools. The parcel tax dollars cannot be taken by the state, so the entirety of the money from Measure W would stay in the school system and directly benefit the students.

After roughly two hours of calling a list of numbers and pleading with them to vote "yes" on the parcel tax, this information was virtually ingrained in my mind, and my fingers were slowly developing carpal tunnel from punching the numbers on the keypad in a monotonous rhythm.

The first rule of phone banking: Be enthusiastic. However, my enthusiasm began to wither as the night wore on, more and more people hung up on me mid-sentence, and I began to get a sense of the twisted priorities of Redwood City citizens.

Priority number one is obviously food, akin to the beliefs of many Americans. For phone banking during dinner hours proved difficult.

Priority number two is discernibly money, which is understandable given the circumstances of the economy.

Nevertheless, considering the exemption of the tax concerning voters 65 years of age and older, as well as the immense benefits that the low parcel tax will generate, there is no reason why Redwood City residents would decline the vote.

The schools cannot stress enough the importance of this parcel tax because, ultimately, the school system today is what determines the officials, doctors, lawyers and politicians of tomorrow.

Vote "yes" on Measure W come June, and remember to honor National Volunteer Week and sign up to advocate for our elementary schools.