#1 – We must pay our teachers competitive salaries and benefits.

When it comes to educating our kids, we know what matters most — the quality of teachers in the classrooms. To maintain quality education, and not lose many of our best teachers, we must pay competitive salaries and benefits. Park Hill has fallen behind our peer schools in both starting teacher pay and average teacher pay.

#2 – We must update and replace aging school facilities.

Our school buildings represent a more than $1 billion investment by our Platte County community. We have kept them in good condition for many years. But now it’s time to once again step up and protect our investment in our school district by starting the Phase 1 Replacement of Park Hill High School, making field and stadium improvements at Park Hill South High School, continuing district-wide facility security updates, making building additions to Chinn, Line Creek and Southeast Elementary, and renovating space for high school programming.  

#3 – Quality schools are essential to great neighborhoods and strong property values.

For many of us who live in the Park Hill School District, our homes are our most important financial investment. Quality schools attract people to our neighborhoods and that demand keeps our property values strong. Our neighborhoods remain great places to live whether or not you have school-aged children. By investing in quality schools, you invest in your home and our community.

#4 – Schools come first in Park Hill.

We have never wavered in addressing this commitment. That’s why people move into our district. That’s why our children want to move back here as adults. We take pride in our schools and our community in Park HIll.

#5 – It’s been more than 20 years since the rate has increased. 

The last time the Park Hill School District’s tax rate increased was in 2002. That’s a whole generation of Park Hill families that have not seen an increase to their tax rate. Twenty-three years ago, Patrick Mahomes was seven years old and the Chiefs had only won a single Super Bowl. While prices have gone up for everything over the past 23 years — there’s been no increase in Park Hill’s tax rate.

For a home with a market value of $300,000, the cost of Props G & O is about $19 bucks a month. That’s about the same cost as having a pizza delivered to your house and not much to pay to ensure high quality schools and neighborhoods for our kids.