Supporting New Philadelphia schools is a legacy worth leaving

New Philadelphia Community,

As a longtime resident of New Philadelphia and a mother of children in this district, I want to share why I feel so strongly that it’s time for our community to come together and support our schools. 

When my children first started school, my husband and I made the difficult decision to open-enroll them in another district. It wasn’t because we didn’t believe in New Philadelphia, but because we were concerned about the condition of the buildings and the safety of the learning environment.

Changes in life eventually brought us back, and enrolling our kids in New Philadelphia City Schools has truly been a great move. My children now have neighborhood friends, and we’ve built connections we never had before. 

While we are incredibly grateful for the teachers and administrators who pour their hearts into our children every single day, the anxiety of sending your kids to outdated, overcrowded, and insecure buildings weighs heavily on every parent. 

Many students are learning in modular classrooms that were meant to be temporary. The buildings are showing their age, and many no longer provide the safety, accessibility, or functionality that our kids deserve.

Some “No” voters try to make it seem as if those supporting the levy are entitled or lazy. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The easy way out would be to leave the district and let the schools crumble into someone else’s problem. Instead, those of us advocating for our schools are choosing to stand firm, to endure the criticism and negativity, because we care about the children of this community. We care about their safety, their future, and the legacy we leave behind.

Tragedy only has to happen once. And what will the community say then? Even if this levy passes, we know it will take years before students ever walk the halls of a new building.

Many of us advocating today may not even have children in those schools by then. This is not about personal gain, it is entirely about the future of New Philadelphia.

I understand the concern about taxes. When my own property assessment arrived in the mail, my heart sank too. But I also know our schools cannot continue down this path. Every year we delay, the problems grow, and the cost to fix them increases. We can only fight one battle at a time, and right now, this is the one that matters most. 

Strong schools attract families, strengthen property values, and give our children the foundation they need to succeed.

This decision is not just about buildings; it’s about investing in the future of New Philadelphia. I believe God calls us to care for the next generation, to plant seeds for a harvest we may never see. My prayer is that our community will come together, set aside differences, and recognize that supporting our schools is not just an expense; it’s a legacy.

I want my children to grow up here. I want families to see New Philadelphia as a place where kids are not just safe, but supported, inspired, and proud to be Quakers.

Katie Finnicum

New Philadelphia