South Portland High School is at risk of losing its accreditation and the city cannot delay renovations any longer; we are in the 11th hour and this is it. One reason we pay taxes is to educate our children so they can get a good job in the future. It is a waste of all taxpayers’ money if they cannot use their education to get a good job. Not only is passing the high school bond the right thing to do, but the best way to ensure that home values stop falling. Home prices will continue to fall without an accredited high school. If you don’t think this is true, review recent housing data.

It’s impossible to get a good job without a college education and nearly impossible to get a college education without graduating from an accredited high school. The conversation at this late date is not about whether this is the right plan, but rather that we are about to doom a generation of South Portland students to a life with fewer options. Never in our history would a South Portland education or our home values be worth less if this does not pass. Every South Portland resident who votes no on this issue is denying a generation the right to a valuable education – a value that all other South Portland graduates have. Many Maine schools have spent too long on probation or lost accreditation. Don’t fool yourself into believing it couldn’t happen to us. Please vote yes.

Erin O’Connor Jones
South Portland