Nuts and bolts.

To us, that’s what the Oxford school district’s $28.28 million bond proposal and five-year, 0.75-mill sinking fund request boils down to.

There are no luxuries here.

There’s no plan to make a bunch of unnecessary purchases simply for the sake of bolstering a shallow and slick marketing program – as was done under the previous image-obsessed superintendent.

These proposals are simply about maintaining and improving what the district has and getting what it truly needs.

That’s why we strongly encourage Oxford school district residents to vote YES on both the bond and sinking fund proposals on the Tuesday, Nov. 7 ballot.

Every new dollar the district is seeking will be spent on essentials such as roofing, buses, parking lots, playgrounds, technology, infrastructure and security.

All of these things are absolutely vital to operating a successful school district. These are the basics. These are the nuts and bolts.

Everything in life wears out and eventually needs to be replaced. Things start looking shabby. Things stop working. Things become unsafe.

It’s like owning a house. Stuff needs to be replaced sooner or later – roofs, furnaces, pipes, light fixtures, flooring, carpeting, furniture and driveways.

You have to invest in your house in order to keep it looking good, maintain its functionality and ensure livability.

The same is true when it comes to school buildings.

While we are certainly no fan of taxes, especially tax increases (which both of these proposals are), there are times when we can begrudgingly see the need for them and this is definitely one of those instances.

If we thought for one moment that this bond proposal and sinking fund were wasteful or unnecessary or frivolous, we would have absolutely no problem urging voters to reject it. We’d shout it from the rooftops.

But that’s not the case.

These proposals are well thought out and warranted. Public input was sought and considered.

Unlike the previous superintendent, we trust Superintendent Tim Throne to do the right thing and only ask for what is genuinely needed. Throne has taken the time to explain to us what’s needed and why, and he did so in an honest, open and plain manner, which we found to be quite refreshing. As we’ve said before, it’s a new day in the Oxford school district and folks need to let go of the dark past.

We want Oxford students to learn, play and grow in an environment that’s safe, functional and pleasant.

You can’t maintain a place like that without investing in it from time to time. It’s the cost of doing business. It is what it is. It’s life.

When you stop investing, when you stop caring, you start falling behind, you start failing.

We don’t want to see that happen to Oxford students. They don’t deserve that. They deserve the best.

They deserve an opportunity to be educated in top-notch schools that will help them get started on the path to becoming successful, productive and well-rounded members of society. They deserve to be able to listen to their teachers’ lessons without being distracted by the monotonous sound of rain water or melting snow drip-drip-dripping into a bucket next to their desk.

Again, we strongly encourage Oxford school district residents to vote YES on both the bond and sinking fund proposals on the Tuesday, Nov. 7 ballot.

Let’s keep our house in good shape. – CJC