At 69, Mr. Sklar says he has paid enough taxes and, besides, he doubts his money would go to good use. They're not teaching them much nowadays. But school officials here in one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation cannot afford to write off Mr. Sklar, no matter how dead set against the bond he may appear. After all, he is part of the rapidly expanding and politically powerful senior citizen population. Instead, schools in Clark County, Nev., and nationwide are reaching out to the seniors in their communities through volunteer programs, partnerships, and bond campaigns, hoping to convince them that public schools still work for children and remain a good investment.
People support institutions they have ownership in.
Between 1980 and 1990, the population of the United States grew by 9.8 percent. But the percentage of Americans 65 and over increased 21.6 percent. Such large increases in the elderly population are expected to continue well into the next century. At the same time, K-12 enrollment is expected to grow 10 percent between 1994 and 2006. Seniors will be very critical to issues of school finance.