Yesterday, I thanked a friend for a really nice letter to the editor (it was in the Observer yesterday), and he noted that it was exactly one year ago — to the day — that I’d thanked him for a very supportive post for our school system on AtomicTumor.com.

I think that was before I’d actually met him in real life (as opposed to virtual life, which though different, is often more "real" than real life), but I do remember a feeling of gratitude that people like AT and GAC, Bos and Mrs. Eaves had moved to Oak Ridge to raise their families. They are the real hope for our future. We had the gift of GAC for far too short a time, but she left an indelible imprint that makes us better in many ways.

Oak Ridge has always been a place where most people come from somewhere else — whether Norris or Norway — bringing with them a little bit of something different, something fresh, to combine with all else that is Oak Ridge for a unique combination as a whole. These days, there are some folks like myself who were actually born and raised here, but part of our role is to remember and carry on some of the treasures — our symphony, our playhouse, soccer, and so many other things — that were brought from the outside a few decades ago by others that we knew as youngsters.

A comment on AT’s post last year by Joel, an Oak Ridger who grew up here and landed elsewhere, is worth repeating:

… And if you don’t have kids, or they’ve graduated, you owe it to yourself to keep your property values up. Let’s say that $30/yr on a $150K home is the price of housing price stability. OTOH, without the $30/yr, the reputation of OR schools slips, let’s say that home prices drop an average of 5%. That’s $7500 on a $150K home. In this scenario, $30/yr is a bargain.

In the parking lot outside early voting yesterday, I overheard one woman say "School board! Money, money money — raise my taxes and they always want more!" I was saddened to hear the other school board candidate agree with a hearty, "yes ma’am, that’s why I’m running," but I do understand: he doesn’t understand. He’s never gone through the schools budget process, which is an eye-opening experience. It was for me, too, those first couple of years.

Without question, Oak Ridgers have been asked in to carry a larger share of the financial burden than most communities in Tennessee. That’s why reform at the state level is so important. However, a key element of the Governor’s plan is the cigarette tax, which is currently held hostage by partisanship in the Legislature, and we won’t know until sometime in June what the impact to our school system will be.

Second reading of the City’s budget is Monday night. We are in a better position than we were one year ago, with Council having recognized the need and taken preliminary steps to partially address the situation, but I hope that they have the will to continue through second reading. Even so, the schools budget will still be short $140,000, and additional cuts will have to be made. While Council agreed to a ten-cent tax increase, only five of that was allocated to the schools (we needed seven).

IF additional state funding comes through sometime in June, the budget will be amended. It’s going to be an interesting few weeks.