Your vote matters, and we very much need your vote this election! Back to Basics WC has worked incredibly hard over the last year to educate voters, recruit high quality candidates, fundraise to support these candidates, and run a clean, positive campaign. I am proud of what we have accomplished in a short period of time, and none of that would have been possible without your support. To all the voters who have donated to our campaign, worked the polls during the primary, and spread our message of change and optimism, thank you!
We are a week away from election day, and your most important job is now! Please make sure that you get out and vote on November 7 or vote now by mail. School board races often come down to a very few votes, so it is imperative that you make your voice heard and vote for the Back to Basics candidates.
While there are a myriad of issues that need to be addressed in our district, the two most important are academic excellence and fiscal accountability. The West Chester Area School District annual budget surpassed $300 million this year while our academic outcomes continue to decline. Only 25% of our 8th graders are proficient in math, and over 30% of our third graders are not proficient in reading. Additionally, the Auditor General of PA issued a comprehensive audit report citing that our board previously raised taxes unnecessarily and without consulting the voters. The audit concluded that our board members were not good stewards of taxpayer dollars. As a taxpayer, your return on investment is not acceptable. We must do better for our students, teachers, and our community.
The five candidates that we recruited to run for school board have worked tirelessly to earn your vote. They have attended school board and committee meetings month after month. They have knocked on thousands of doors and attended community meetings to listen to residents. As a result, we added student safety as one of our key issues because parents are worried about bullying and other problematic behaviors that are not being addressed.
Nick Spangler and Bob Rafetto in Region 1 (West Chester Borough and West Goshen Township), Amanda Greenberg and Peggy Schmitt in Region 2 (East Goshen and West Whiteland Townships, and Alain Oliver in Region 3 (East Bradford, Westtown Thornbury, Thornbury Delco, and West Goshen Townships) have a diverse set of experiences that will greatly benefit our board. We need diversity of thought on our school board to question and research decisions that are made. We need a board that will mentor, support, and supervise our new superintendent and not rubber stamp every recommendation.
I have spent almost a year getting to know these candidates through our weekly meetings and various events. They are all hard working, intelligent, dedicated individuals who will focus on academics and fiscal accountability. Please support them with your vote on November 7.
To learn more about our platform, visit our website or contact me directly at barosica@hotmail.com.
Thank you!
Beth Ann Rosica, Ph.D.
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