As the threat of a teachers strike looms for Dixon Public Schools, I feel compelled to respond to the impending crisis facing the students and families.

There are two sides: the board (including the administration) and the teachers union. There’s money designated for the purpose of educating every child, sports are not mandated, but free and appropriate public education is. Educating the children of this community is our No. 1 priority, correct? We can all agree, right?

The real issue of this disagreement is money. The disagreement is how the money will be spent. Money is very tight. There are differing opinions as to how much money there really is and in what funds the money exists. How will the money be spent educating the students of DPS? How we spend our district’s money speaks our district’s priorities.