Now that the Zionsville Town Council has given its thumbs-up to the Zionsville Community Schools referendum, it seems to be a major emotional lift for proponents. The Town Council endorsed the referendum during its meeting last Monday night. We know Supt. Scott Robison took on his job and immediately became responsible for ZCS’ $300 million of debt. We also know Robison hasn’t added 1 cent of debt, and he actually has chopped away mightily at the deficit. Ordinarily, we oppose referenda, preferring instead a reasonable alignment with the public sector with respect to compensation plans. It seems to have reached the point, though, where top-quality education really is affected by lack of adequate funding.
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As the U.S. 31 Freeway Project now is under way with quite a fervor, we urge motorists from Boone and Hamilton counties to exercise extreme patience – if not a little ingenuity – in dealing what many already are calling “the three-year mess.” The finished product, we believe, will be worth the wait and certain hassles. Further, it isn’t a mess; it’s progress taking shape. We have opined in this space before on the positive aspects this project will deliver. To get to the good, we must find a way to sanely endure the “ugly,” and that means finding ways around snarled traffic, keeping your cool and allowing plenty of extra time during peak commute hours. A customary 10-minute drive last week took us more than 25 minutes. Patience! It will be worth it in the end. “Coping skills” may be found at us31hamiltoncounty.in.gov. Current will provide updates in the paper, on its Web site and on Facebook and Twitter. We pledge to help you all we can.