With the proposed school bond issue creating so much attention at the present time, several people have been asking me how this decision will impact economic development.
Visitors to our city really look at the school system when we are in the recruitment process and when they are looking for a new city for a proposed expansion of their operation.
The need for a city to show they are progressive in education in both curriculum and facilities is higher now than ever before and will only continue to get higher as the demands for technology and innovation continue to grow. When an industry takes a look at a city, it reviews both physical and human infrastructure. One can quickly see why educational facilities are so very important. I will be the first to praise our school system for its tremendous hard work from a leadership standpoint and all staff.
We have a wonderful school, and we should be very proud of it. That being said however, I must convey that sometimes even with all our successes, that may not be enough. When an industry looks at a town and its school facilities, whether fair or unfair, they do make assumptions based on age of facilities, etc. An industry must base their decisions to the best of their ability on whether this town will continue to meet their needs not only today, but 20 years into the future.
So one can easily see how important this issue really is. In rural America, the economic development battle is challenging at best, brutal and frustrating. Based on this battle that we wage daily, we as a community must take a hard, well-informed look at any and all opportunities that will give our city the best chance for success that we possibly can.
Reed is director of economic development for the City of Houston.