Ep 7 - Supporting Issue 13: Early Nester and Empty Nesters

The majority of residents of Shaker Heights do not have children in the Shaker Heights school system. For that reason, we feel it is important to hear from members of this constituency. So in this episode, we talk with four Shaker school district taxpayers, three of whom live in Shaker Heights and one who lives in the city of Cleveland (near Shaker Square) and pays Shaker Heights school taxes. Three of our guests don’t have children or grandchildren in the school district while one of them has two young boys who will be eligible for preK in the coming years.

We asked those who have no children in the district, why they support the levy. Conventional wisdom says that those who have children in the district will support the levy but those who don’t may not. But these three do support the levy . . . and their reasons are informative.
One participant, who has no children and doesn’t live in Shaker Heights proper, is a passionate supporter of the levy. Her reasons may surprise you.

To the young professional and mother whose children have yet to enter the Shaker system, we asked why she is choosing to send her children to Shaker schools and given the cost of the levy, why she supports it.

This podcast is hosted and produced by Mark Goode, a resident of Shaker Heights, on behalf of the Committee for Shaker Schools, a grassroots, citizen-based campaign organization that works to help pass Shaker Heights City School District levies and bond issues. The committee's primary mission is to inform voters about upcoming school levies and bond issues and to direct efforts toward ensuring their passage.