Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Dr. Pepper asked me some questions in his or her recent posting.

First I would like to say I too get a kick out of the debate with you and the others on this website. Your facts and use of the English language inspire me.

I will share your wise words with all the teenagers that gather at my house. And, I will stop buying Dr. Pepper for them to drink. Dr. Pepper may not be healthy for them.

I am very interested in the source for your comments, ?“If you live in an affluent neighborhood and you supported the schools wouldn?’t you at least expect the students to be able to go off to college in greater numbers and percentages than Pickerington sends theirs? Only 55% percent of Pickerington Graduates go on to a four-year college after High School. Bexley sends well over 90%, Canal Winchester 70 to 80%, Groveport nearly 70%.?” -- Dr. Pepper 11/13/01

In the twenty some years I have lived here I have never seen those so called facts. Why is Pickerington?’s rate rather precise and the others just a range like 70-80% for Canal Winchester? Please provide me with the source of this information. Many thanks, Dr. Pepper.

55% college attendance


The question of post secondary education, which is a positive goal for many students, is a very valid concern. While there are multiple factors in the decisions of preparing for and costs related concerns about a college education, this % of attendance is another benchmark of a district?’s success. Awhile back some of the members of one of PATA?’s focus teams were finding figures similar to what has been recently posted by other individuals on our web site. This needs much more serious attention than some people are giving this issue. Our focus team members were contacting area Superintendents, Guidance Counselors, Principals, Curriculum Directors and the like at a number of school systems. They also found information via a real estate association, whose members list facts about various school districts for prospective clients.

For my own input I remember as our family was house hunting around central Ohio that while Pickerington Schools had many positives listed in one of the real estate packets, it had a lower figure than many other communities related to college placements.

This issue was one of the discussions last Spring in a PLSD Curriculum Council meeting I attended. One of the talented Coordinators was attempting to develop, within the district?’s Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP), a measure of our district needs toward the issue of boosting the potential for students related to college opportunities. As yet we have not completed this work. There have been recent gains in the ?“Success Academy?” for our struggling Freshman & Sophomores and this is a step in the right direction.

During the recent election there were three candidates who expressly mentioned that above and beyond the State?’s Proficiency Test results for our district we needed to look at more to see if we were doing the best with our available resources in this college placement and preparation arena. We have elected one of those candidates, but not two others. What a shame as Dr. Brink & Mr. Powers took a high priority about dealing with this problem. I would hope their absence from the PLSD Board is not to the detriment of elevating these standards.

For us ?“oldies?” used to the - A of 90-100, B of 80-90, C of 70-80, D of 60-70 ?– Yes, I know that Pickerington?’s grading system has been modified, however a 55% is an F. This issue is too important to not see improvements. 55% should not and is not acceptable.

- I will post this message in (2) areas of the Discussion Pages, only because a previous poster did not do a direct response and began an additional titled topic covering this same issue.

Uher in the dark 20 years

Mr. Uher I am not a soft drink and I am also not really a Doctor. However I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express a number of times. Even Holiday Inn Expresses are different here in Pickerington. We were fortunate for that motel chain to build in our school district. They located on a major U. S. Interstate highway and come January 1st 2002 our Holiday Inn Express would have been paying to the Pickerington School District about $37,912 per year in real estate taxes. However the wonder boy thinkers down at the Pickerington City Hall decided that they must build a new road for some unannounced businesses that may move into the area in the next five years. That will cost the Pickerington Local School District about $28,434 per year in real estate taxes for this property. The problem here is that Mr. Uher loves these guys. He can?’t tear himself away from their present. Yet they are then going to lean on Mr. Uher to go to the voters and ask for more money because PLSD is lacking in both buildings and teaching personal. Yet Mr. Uher can?’t seem to connect the dots here. I know he will be down at the Pickerington Area Chamber of Commerce in the next couple of days and I recommend that he open the PACC directory to page 13 and study the tax rates that Pickerington City and The Pickerington school district residents pay versus the neighboring communities. It might shed some light on the subject.


The reason Pickerington?’s 4-year college rate is precise is because that is what I heard while attending a PLSD school board meeting back in the school year of 1999-2000. A guidance counselor gave the 55% number and I do not know his name. I have heard today that in the most recent year we have dropped to 52% of our seniors are going to a 4-year college. The ranges for schools like Canal Winchester, Bexley, and Groveport I simply called their guidance counselors. You see Mark, the percentage changes each year so they gave me a range. Maybe you should call these same schools Mr. Uher. You have been so preoccupied with promoting sports that you forgot about how these young people, even the ones you claim that are meeting at your home are going to get jobs.


You said, ?“In the twenty some years I have lived here I have never seen those so called facts.?” First of all Mark, you know as well as I do that you moved to this community in 1983. So the twenty some years is a little over shoot, don?’t you think? Now Mr. Uher, haven?’t I heard you tell more than one person on this WEB site that they should do their homework? You move into the community, buy a nice home and send your kids to the local school without ever checking if they will be able to attend college after they graduate. Judging by the grieve that you give everyone I can only assume that you did your homework and college wasn?’t important to you and your children back in 1983. Some of us are depending on our children going off to college and being successful. I think you need to call Mrs. Marty England tomorrow and find out the real truth here. Do you need her number?

Bill Gates determines my use of the English language. Everything I write, his program changes. I am soooo tired of those red and green lines. He can?’t even draw them straight.


By Dr. Pepper

And, the Answer is ....

Dear Dr. Pepper and Bob Harding,

My question was rather simple ... where did the information about 4-year college attendance rates comparing our school district with Bexley, Canal Winchester, etc. come from?

Bob Harding did not answer the question. And, I believe, Dr. Pepper indicated he or she called counselors in each of the district but could not even remember the name of the Pickerington counselor. Is that a fair assessment of your answer?

And, just for the record, Dr. Pepper I have lived in the Pickerington area since 1979 ... a bit longer than 20 years. I have lived in the PLSD since 1983. Thanks for keeping tab.

I'll try one more time to ask -- where did you get this information?

By Mark W. Uher