What Dreams May...Cost.
WHAT DREAMS MAY COME COST
Elyria City Schools has a money problem.
I mean we all do. Right now.
But my current money problems mean I will not be able to take my son to Disney World in December which means I probably won’t see my Elyria family for almost a year. Which makes me sad.
Money problems for me mean I’m going to think twice about driving with gas being $6.53/gallon where I live. Which keeps me in the house.
Money problems for me means convincing my soon-to-be five-year-old that eating lunch at school (which is free for us) is just as fun and cool as us packing him a lunch (he never eats) with all of his favorite foods (that is very much NOT free for us). Annoying.
Money problems for me means I work on my small business when I’m not at my full-time job (which if you know anything about coaching you know the hours are more whenever-to-whenever as opposed to 9-5- while only getting paid for a 9-5.) Ugh.
Money problems for me also means I may need to downgrade one of my many subscriptions to streaming services to a version with ads. Ewww.
Money problems for Elyria City Schools though…
Those money problems look like needing $11.6 million dollars and if they don’t get it their money problems also looks like losing the following (fromvoteforelyriaschools.com):
45 teaching positions
12 substitutes, 9 tutors, 5 student support positions
12 administrative positions
Fewer buses and fewer crossing guards
Reduced funding for classroom materials, vocational experiences for special education students, field trips, and contracted services, those AP or other college in high-school programs…
Elyria City Schools money problems also looks like…
“Without the funds, we have to cut another $8 million over two years,” Schloss said. Schloss said drastic measures would be necessary if the levy fails. All extracurricular activities would be eliminated, including sports, drama, and music. Kindergarten would move to half days. Teachers, counselors, social workers, student support services staff and administrators would also face cuts. (From This News Article article by Tino Bovenzi)
Elyria City Schools money problems also looks like…an athlete who was using sport to get to college now has lost the sport and potentially the path to college.
Elyria City Schools money problems look like parents that have kindergartners will now have to pay for daycare which will cost them more than the increase in the property tax.
My money problems and its impact on me pale in comparison to the ripple-effect of Elyria City Schools’ money problems.
So I’m looking at this and on the surface it looks like a straightforward lose-lose-lose-lose situation. Homeowners aren’t particularly interested in paying more in taxes.
Elyria City Schools don’t want to cut another $8 million dollars out of their already shoestring budget.
And students don’t want to lose all they stand they stand to lose either.
But it’s not actually lose-lose. It’s not even zero-sum. It’s actually negative-sum.
Because if voters vote against the levy they WILL avoid an increase in their property tax. But voters will NOT avoid the true cost of this levy failing.
Let’s start with what research says about sports, music, and the arts…
Research consistently demonstrates that participation in sports, music, and the arts supports children's cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development. These activities are more than extracurricular enrichment; they provide important opportunities for learning, connection, and personal growth.
Sports promote physical health, discipline, teamwork, resilience, emotional regulation, and leadership.
Music supports memory, attention, language development, creativity, and emotional expression.
Art encourages critical thinking, problem-solving, self-expression, emotional processing, and creativity.
Research also suggests that sustained participation in structured extracurricular activities is associated with stronger school engagement, improved social skills, greater feelings of belonging, and fewer behavioral problems.
Investing in sports, music, and art is not simply investing in recreation. It is investing in children's development, protective relationships, and opportunities to thrive—potentially reducing the need for more costly interventions later in life.
Let’s talk about some of those costly interventions…
We know what happens to delinquency without extracurricular activities, right? Or when schools are so understaffed and underresourced that it becomes easier and more efficient to discipline than to educate?
We get a school-to-prison pipeline.
Do you know how much it costs taxpayers to support an incarcerated person? I’ll give you a hint…more than $26 per $100k of your house’s value.
Incarceration comes at a high cost to taxpayers. In the United States, housing one incarcerated person can cost tens of thousands of dollars annually, with some states, such as California (where I currently live), spending more than $100,000 per person each year. These expenses include housing, food, healthcare, security, staffing, and facility operations.
Beyond the direct financial burden, incarceration can create additional economic costs through lost tax revenue, reduced workforce participation, and increased reliance on public assistance.
We pay that too.
And I am not at all saying that if this levy fails, every student is now on this path. But one kid going down this road because they no longer have that mentor or coach that’s like a second parent and has something to do between the time school gets out and mom and dad gets home- IS ONE TOO MANY.
Either way, this community is going to pay. The only question is HOW MUCH and for HOW LONG. We can make an investment now, with returns measured in stronger schools, safer neighborhoods, and a generation of young people equipped to thrive. Or we can keep making minimum payments on this maxed-out credit card with a crushing interest rate—paying more and more while never touching the principal.
Doing nothing is not free.
The bill is coming.
And the longer we wait, the more expensive it gets.
And for those who say, “you’re saying “we” like you live here.”
I am coming home. The question is, what I’ll be coming home to.
Writer’s Note: A friend shared an app they created to help residents calculate what the levy would cost them by entering your address. You can check it out here.
I want to be absolutely clear about where I stand: I support passing this levy.
This issue is deeply personal to me. I am a product of the opportunities this community provided. Sports didn't just give me Olympic medals. They gave me access to collegiate education, experiences, relationships, and a future I would not have necessarily imagined for myself growing up in Elyria. I know what is possible when a community invests in its children because I am living proof of that investment.
I cannot vote on this levy. But not having a vote does not mean I don't have a voice, a responsibility, or a role to play. So I'm doing what I can with what I have.
Also…If the levy fails and the district moves to a pay-to-play model, I am already preparing to contribute financially to help families who cannot afford the fees. But I also recognize that my individual contribution can only go so far. No child should have to depend on private generosity to access opportunities that could change the trajectory of their life.
I cannot benefit from everything this community gave me and then turn my back on the children coming behind me.
I may not have a ballot in this election, but I still have a stake in this community's future.