Adam Watson (0:00) Welcome back to “Simplifying the State,” the podcast where we break down politics so you don’t have to figure out what a bridge campus is. As always, I’m Adam Watson.

Nicholas Perrin (0:09) Nicholas Perrin.

Drew (0:10) I’m Drew Garfinkel.

Luciano (0:11) And I’m Luciano Perlman.

Adam Watson (0:14) All right. Before we start, please rate us and follow the podcast wherever you’re listening and share it with anyone you think would enjoy it, like the voters in line at the polling place. All right. So today’s topic is going to be Proposition O. This is pretty specific to Clayton. Basically, for those who have been living under a rock, Proposition O is a ballot measure that would allow for bonds to be sold to the tune of about $134 million. That money would then be used for improvements to facilities within the Clayton School District. Right now, they’re saying that it will be used to renovate Glenridge Elementary School, to renovate and make improvements to the Gayfield Athletic Complex, and to construct a new sort of multipurpose space at Clayton High School for various things, including geometry and construction programs, robotics programs, and other CTE-related programs. So I guess starting, let’s just sort of go around here. Do you guys think that Prop O should pass, and do you support it?

Luciano (1:12) I’ll go first. I think at first I was a little bit skeptical. It kind of just, at first it just kind of seemed like a bit of a ploy by the district to just get more money. But I think now that I’ve gotten more involved and participated a lot more in the process of everything, it makes a lot more sense. And I think I’d say I’m in support of it because, you know, it’s good. It’ll help all the kids at Glenridge. And I think the thing that they haven’t been mentioning that they really should be is that, like,

Adam Watson (1:21) Mm-hmm.

Luciano (1:38) A lot of these things, a proper — like, stuff has passed in surrounding districts, and it’s been massively successful. And I think that’s what really swayed me to support it, the fact that Webster did something similar. They built a new elementary school, and their kids benefited massively. Ladue did the same thing. Like, I think Rockbridge may have done the same thing. It’s just all of these schools around us are doing something similar, and it’s helping. So I think I feel like it should work in Clayton.

Adam Watson (2:01) Yeah, I sort of have a similar opinion about that. Like I originally was a little skeptical. But again, then I researched it a little bit, and then I saw, and then I sort of looked into what the state of Glenridge was. And I think that, you know, this is important. As you talked about, there are a bunch of other surrounding districts that have done this. We do, for example, they sought $126 million in 2021. And I, for one, refuse to be beaten by Ladue.

Luciano (2:25) Ha.

Adam Watson (2:25) I don’t know about the rest of you guys.

Also, just looking at this from — if you don’t have kids in the district, just looking at this from a homeowner’s perspective — like the average home price in Clayton is like $850,000, and like the main reason that Clayton homes are worth so much is because of the school district. So I feel like even if you don’t have kids in the district, making sure that Clayton remains at the top of the pile when it comes to schools will

Luciano (2:47) You.

Adam Watson (2:54) helps maintain, if not increase, your home value. So that’s just another reason to support it. I mean, obviously, I support it because we should be doing everything we can to help our public schools be as good as they can.

Drew (3:06) Yeah, I’m in the same boat as Adam and Luciano, I guess. I’m not bandwagoning. They kind of just said everything. But yeah, at first I thought it was just going to be like raising taxes, which it’s not. And Glenridge really needs it right now. As Adam said, like specific details, a lot of teachers have gotten, like, actually gotten sick from the school since the building is just so old, which — no bueno, that’s not good.

Adam Watson (3:06) OK.

Nicholas Perrin (3:30) Yeah, I’ll have to agree with everyone here, but I think something that hasn’t been talked about as of yet — which we’re going to get into in more detail, no doubt — but I think the addition of the new STEM learning lab in CHS will be of great help. As a member of the robotics team, I don’t have my own field where I can practice driving our robot. And the addition of the new field will be of great importance while also providing a tornado shelter and space for other people to learn.

Adam Watson (4:01) Yeah. Yeah, I think, Drew, a lot of people probably had a similar concern about the tax thing that you did. Obviously, when people hear $100 million to a school, they think my taxes are going to go up. And obviously, in Clayton, taxes are already pretty high. But I mean, the district’s been pretty good about talking about what exactly it means in terms of the tax rates. So basically, there will not be a tax increase.

The bond issue will maintain the district’s current debt levy of like 50 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, not increase the tax rate. That’s from the Clayton website. So basically, the district has issued other bonds for other things. So they’ve been paying them back. So basically, as they finish paying off some of these other bonds, then they will take out —

You know, they will sell other bonds. It’s like a whole bond thing. Basically, your taxes aren’t going to go up. That’s the short. Yeah, bondception. I don’t know if I can explain it in a way that will be coherent. Taxes do not go up. Money goes to the district. Fun time all around. That’s basically what I’ll say. Exactly.

Luciano (5:01) That’s the gist.

Yeah.

Luciano (5:18) Sunshine and rainbows. Yeah. Yeah. I think.

Drew (5:18) Yeah, explain it like

We have CTE, Adam.

Luciano (5:23) No, but I think that’s an issue a lot of people have. I feel like I’ve been around, I’ve been canvassing. I think a dominant thing, like one of the major questions I get asked a lot, is, “Will taxes go up? How does this affect taxes?” A lot of people are very invested in where there’s money, where their money’s going. And I feel like the district’s been doing a good job of communicating that there will be zero tax increase, which I think is nice. But I also kind of — I’ve heard a lot of people say that like —

And this is true — that if the issue, if the bond issue doesn’t get passed, then taxes go down. There is a faction that is not supporting the issue merely because taxes will go down if the bond issue doesn’t get passed and Prop O fails. Again, I’m not saying I’m for that in any way, shape, or form. It’s just like, I think it’s just interesting to see what people consider when they’re thinking about voting for something like this.

Adam Watson (6:10) Yeah.

Luciano (6:11) Yeah.

Drew (6:11) OK, while —

I want to talk about the relevance of this, ’cause we’re voting on this Tuesday. Today is the — what is today? Yeah, yeah. I’m not voting. I’m saying we —

Adam Watson (6:17) Hold on, who’s “we” here? Of the four of us, I’m voting on this.

Nicholas Perrin (6:21) All of us. We’re all voting.

Drew (6:37) We — yes, all of us are voting for this on Tuesday. So I suggest going out and voting if you’re able to, either yes or no. Yeah.

Nicholas Perrin (6:48) Register to vote if you haven’t.

Adam Watson (6:50) I think it’s a little too late to register and like —

Drew (6:51) Getting out to vote, yeah,might be on the edge a little.

Nicholas Perrin (6:54) For future reference, you know.

Adam Watson (6:57) Yeah, for future reference, ideally register to vote about two months before it happens and not the Friday beforehand, but —

Luciano (7:04) Yeah, I think turnout is incredibly important. I feel like, especially in the times we’re living in, I feel like a lot of people are becoming more aware of local politics and how important it really is. And I think it’s incredibly important that no matter what you think, you get out and you vote and you make your voice heard because that benefits all of us. And preferably you vote yes, I mean.

Luciano (7:26) Yeah, exactly. And then I think a lot of people, too, they’re very concerned about the conduct of the district, especially in terms of like what they’ve been doing to sort of pass the issue and whatever. And again, there were two people I talked to canvassing, I think a week or so ago, who were talking about how the district is overlooking issues inside Glenridge. And instead of actually fixing these things when the problems arise, they’re actually just waiting for them to become worse problems so they can pass the bond issue about it. And I think it’s just — it’s interesting, like the conflicting messaging on both sides and —

Drew (7:58) Yeah, that is fair, but — these kids need a safe and high-quality environment for learning. This building is just shy of 100 years old. Does anyone know the date? Something like that.

Luciano (8:09) Mm-hmm.

Nicholas Perrin (8:13) I think it was listed. I’m gonna —

Adam Watson (8:14) It’s like 97 years old.

Drew (8:17) Yeah, it is old, like —Yeah, just shy of 100, which —And if, as I said, if teachers are getting sick, that means kids as well can. I’m assuming the kids aren’t going to the basement or it’s still not a — wait, there are.

Nicholas Perrin (8:22) 1929.

They are. There are classrooms there.

Adam Watson (8:34) Yeah, there are.

Nicholas Perrin (8:35) Yeah, I mean, I went there. Yeah, in my fifth-grade class, it was in the basement. No.

Adam Watson (8:35) Yeah.

Drew (8:37) Really?I thought it was just like a dungeon.

Luciano (8:43) You —

Adam Watson (8:44) I mean, it is. It’s also a classroom. Like, they keep all the troubled kids in the basement dungeon. That’s why Nicholas was down there.

Luciano (8:49) Thank you.

Nicholas Perrin (8:50) That’s why they got me there.

Drew (8:50) Letting them —

Luciano (8:52) What’d you do to get banished down there?

Drew (8:51) The better a kid you are, the higher up you are. I see.

Adam Watson (8:56) Exactly.

Luciano (8:56) Yeah, It’s like a dystopian novel.

Drew (8:58) The gifted class is just like on the roof.

Luciano (9:01) Yeah. The means to solve these problems is far beyond what we’re capable of doing with just a spring clean or like a bottle of Clorox. I think these are problems. Yeah, exactly. These are problems that have to be solved with a renovation and with actual effort being put in, like a lot of money. So, but —

Adam Watson (9:08) Yeah.

Drew (9:08) Some duct tape, yeah.

Luciano (9:20) Yeah, I think it’s just interesting to hear both sides and like to hear what people are saying and like how they’re sort of responding to other points of view, I guess.

Drew (9:30), especially with such a relevant issue. Like, I can’t leave my neighborhood without passing like half a dozen Prop O signs.

Adam Watson (9:40) How would you rate the district’s communication on what they have wanted to do with Prop O?

Luciano (9:49) OK. So all of the things I’ve mentioned so far, I feel like is the reason why I was persuaded. And I think in my opinion, the most persuasive things have not been emphasized as much by the district, like —I mean, as I feel like they should be, as I would have liked, absolutely. And I think there was an Instagram post I saw a while ago when the Prop O campaign was really getting started. And it was photos of Gayfield that they took photos of, and they just cranked up the exposure.

Drew (10:02) as he would have liked.

Luciano (10:14) to make it look worse. And I think — like, it’s absurd. And I think I 100% agree with what the district is doing. I just think the messaging is a little like — it’s not great. We have great facilities, and I think there’s a lot of good stuff we’re doing. I think it’s just, you don’t need to make it look worse. That just looks disingenuous.

You don’t need to twist the truth to make it look like things are worse than they actually are, because they are not amazing right now. They’re not terrible, but they’re not amazing either. Like you don’t have to — like there — it’s not necessary to edit photos like on your iPhone and like the effects tab and make things look worse than they actually are.

Yeah, I don’t know if anyone else has any thoughts.

Adam Watson (10:59) Yeah, yeah,

I agree. I feel like —

Nicholas Perrin (11:01) Yeah, like going on that — I might be like, for me, how I learned about most of the stuff from Prop O initially is in my civil engineering and architecture class, the actual — like, actual architects from the firm that like helped plan out renovations for Clayton High School and Prop O and like Glenridge and the rest —went in and gave a presentation to the whole class that took up the entire class time about why Prop O was a good idea and why they’re trying to make this happen in the first place. And I feel like that sort of messaging is what would have been needed for everyone else, but it’s not what we saw. So, I don’t know. It was good in some areas, but overall, it was lacking.

Adam Watson (11:39) Yeah.

Drew (11:45) So I do think they did a good job. Obviously, they’re gonna be opinionated and try to convince you to have Prop O. So they could have been a little bit disingenuous, but looking at their Instagram, for example, they have several videos from different teachers about why it should be issued. I saw Mr. Maddock, for example, talking about STEM.

I was like, OK, yeah, that’s convincing to me at least. So I don’t think it’s that serious. They could have done better, but I don’t think it’s awful. I don’t think it’s gonna have a great effect on the result.

Adam Watson (12:21) Yeah. Yeah.

But I thought the teacher testimonials — I feel like — were one of the best things about the whole campaign. Like they went to the principal of Glenridge. They went to teachers who would benefit from this new STEM lab. They went to the athletics director. I feel like that stuff — that really helped convince me of why we need Prop O., and I hear in the testimonials from the people who have to work in the current facilities, and why they want better facilities, and why they need better facilities. I feel like that was a really good thing on social media. But I feel like more of that would have been useful. I don’t know. I could just be nitpicking, but —

Luciano (12:56) Yeah, I wholeheartedly agree. I think hearing from like students and teachers and like people who like work in these spaces every day is amazing. And like, I think that was the most persuasive part of the entire campaign.

Adam Watson (13:10) Yeah.

Drew (13:11) Usually, for these, we talk about why it’s relevant to students. I don’t think we have to do that because I have a feeling it is. Just a sneaking suspicion that we don’t have to elaborate on this.

Adam Watson (13:17) No, I feel it.

Luciano (13:17) I don’t think you’re — it does not require that much explanation.

Adam Watson (13:20) Yeah.

I do not, yeah.

Luciano (13:24) How will renovating a school district help the students? I wonder. It’s a real ponder. It does.

Drew (13:28) Hmm, I wonder.

Adam Watson (13:30) I mean, it’s not going to really impact current — like the STEM lab isn’t going to really impact us because we’re going to be long gone by the time it’s done. Like, I feel like making sure that the next generation has the adequate resources they need to be as successful as they can be is pretty important.

Luciano (13:49) Yeah.

Adam Watson (13:50) You leave, and then they just start building a whole — yeah. That’s — it just reminded me of that. The year after we leave Clayton, they’re gonna build a brand new robotics facility and STEM lab and things.

Drew (13:51) Yeah.

Nicholas Perrin (13:52) That’s exactly what I was thinking.

Luciano (13:52) Yeah.

Drew (13:59) First Meramec, now Clayton.

Luciano (14:08) Yeah, the poor robotics team.

Nicholas Perrin (14:10) I’m gonna force my little sister to join robotics so she can have what I can’t.

Adam Watson (14:16) Thank you for listening to this episode. We’ll be back next time with our next episode, and we’ll see you guys then. Yes.

Luciano (14:22) Go out and vote!

Drew (14:24) Mm-hmm.