Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Thanks for the answer

Thanks for clarifying that the $5.4M was awarded in scholarships and not just offered. The difference between offered and awarded might have been significant in a district as good as ours.

I hadn?’t intended for the discussion about Mr. Laramee to go further, however in your position with the schools and the citizens group mentioned in earlier postings, you must realize that the situation with Mr. Laramee and the Pickerington Republican Club is clearly a symptom of the disease that is plaguing our City. I hear your assumptions but am not alarmed by them, as Mr. Laramee has shown that he is a true professional and I am quite sure that he took all the proper steps. I have not heard him described as careless and impetuous.

I won?’t spend a lot of your time or the readers?’ time debating City politics with you. Not because I don?’t think it would be a worthy debate, but Mr. Maxey and Mr. Parker and others in City government have stated publicly numerous times that they don?’t care to have their business discussed with non-City residents. I assume he was talking about you? If not, I apologize but will honor their request.

Scholarship Numbers

From the June 11 Superintendent?’s report to the Board: 497 seniors graduated in 2001 and 65% of graduating seniors received scholarships totaling $5.4M.

This implies the average scholarship received was over $16,200.

In this context, the word ?“scholarship?” is intended to suggest an award for academic, artistic or athletic potential, and a positive reflection on the school system. Hence, financial aid should not be included in these figures. Nor should the Ohio Student Choice Grant because these are not based on need or merit ?— they are intended to narrow the tuition gap between the state's public and private non-profit colleges and universities. This year, that grant was $1,062.

The tuition at Ohio State was approximately $5,000 per year. Other state schools are slightly higher. Private schools, such as Capital, have tuition in the range of $18,000 per year.

On the surface, the scholarship numbers simply don?’t add up. Since Mr. Uher reports that Mr. Yokum follows these pages, perhaps he could explain how the scholarship numbers are determined.