(Letter to the Editor - Graphic Illustration/MetroCreativeConnection)

As the 2022 Belpre High School valedictorian, I urge the community to vote yes on Nov. 8 for the Belpre City Schools levy. Many of my classmates and I worked tirelessly with the levy committee and saw first hand how much people care for our schools. Belpre’s long history of excellence is well known and we can’t let that legacy die. One of the reasons our school is in decline is because the Belpre community hasn’t passed a facilities levy in more than 30 years. If we don’t pass this levy now, our schools will not be able to attract and keep families and teachers.

My mother graduated from Belpre High School in 1984 and moved to California to serve her country in the United States Marine Corps. While serving, she met my father. Before my little brother was born, we moved back to Belpre because my mother wanted to raise her kids in a town where she had such an excellent childhood. If I want to consider raising my future family in Belpre, we need better schools. I know many of my fellow graduates share that sentiment.

I was a member of the Pride of Belpre Marching Band. Seeing the parade and police escort we received after qualifying for the OMEA State Marching Band Competition last year showed me how much our community can care about our schools and Belpre’s reputation. Don’t we want that to be reflected in how we vote in this election? Don’t we want to be a competitive school that attracts families to our community?

I know many Belpre residents reflect on when they were in school and say things were better back then, but I’m sure back then they weren’t ashamed when visiting teams came to the school and saw cracked foundations, leaking roofs, and outdated bathroom facilities. It’s time to take off our rose-tinted glasses and realize our schools are not the same as they were in the 60s and 70s. Our students deserve to have school buildings that they can be proud of today. That is why I and many of my classmates are going to the polls and voting yes — to make our schools and our community better.

Claudia Church

Belpre High School

Class of 2022 Valedictorian