O'Fallon is in a state of emergency. The School District 90 cuts will bring about very real threats to this community -- threats that have literally destroyed communities just like ours.

My family moved to O'Fallon in 2006 and spent a great deal of time researching the school districts within a 45-minute commute of Scott Air Force Base to find a district that could provide special services for one child and academic rigor for another. We ended up limiting our home search to only neighborhoods within the Estelle Kampmeyer zone and have been so pleased with the decision we made.

If the schools had been absent of PE, music, sports, gifted programs and sufficient classroom support for students in need, as is being planned for next school year, we would not have selected O'Fallon to purchase a home and retire. I know that we are not the only family who selects a town to purchase a home by the strength of its schools. I fear if the referendum does not pass, this town will soon become a less desirable place to live and my property values that have already dropped significantly will drop further.

How can we prevent our community from facing further cuts in our schools and steeper declines in our property values? We can support the system that paves the path for our kids' futures and contributes to the success of O'Fallon. We can vote "yes" on April 9.

Marcia Lochmann

O'Fallon