Editor,

I love getting a good deal.  I hardly ever pay for shipping, I’m an expert at using Kohl’s 30% off coupons and my husband and I have a running competition to see who can get the highest percentage of savings at Smith’s.  He once bought only the Friday free download just so his receipt said 100% savings.  Clearly cheating if you ask me.  Too bad I didn’t think of it first. . .

At the same time, there are a lot of things in life that fit into the category of “You get what you pay for”.  Cheap shoes hurt your feet, cheap sheets pill up after two washes, and no one ever uses any of the cheap water bottles in the kitchen cabinet that we’ve gotten at races or promotional events.  Why are they still there taking up space?  It’s definitely better to spend the money and have high quality stuff that’s actually useful and lasts a long time.

I got out my latest tax bill the other day.  Since the Public Schools Building Act question is on the current election ballot, I wanted to see the exact amount I pay.  It was $423.43 for 2020.  I did the math.  We paid slightly less than $1.16 a day for the year.  Was it worth it?  What do the schools use that money for?  What about our own kid–did it benefit him at all?  

One thing the schools use the money for is computers and technology.  My son had his own Chromebook issued by the schools.  That was handy for his schoolwork and classwork before the pandemic but obviously essential once school went online in March of 2020.  I remember reading in the Albuquerque Journal about school districts in New Mexico that were finally getting computers for their students, many months after the pandemic hit.  LAPS was way ahead of the game, due in large part to the mil levy, as it’s referred to.  My sons have all graduated from high school now.  I’m grateful they attended schools that are on top of technology and have the resources to make sure all students are equipped.

There are lots of reasons LAPS is the best school district in our state. Among them is our community’s willingness to invest in the schools and be generous because we value a good education, we understand the impact good schools have on property values and we know good schools attract prospective employees to LANL, our town’s #1 employer.  

$1.16 a day? I’m definitely voting FOR.  I love getting a good deal, and you get what you pay for.

Jenny McCumber