I recently overheard a friend comment that she had no idea when to take her first child in for kindergarten registration. She didn't subscribe to the newspaper, and there was no local-only radio station. How in the world, she argued, was someone like her suppose to know, or care, anything about the local schools?

The simplest answer I could give her is that she should care, as we all should whether our own kids are in the school system or not. Over 50 percent of your property taxes goes to support local schools. The exact amount depends on your house value, of course, but it is still probably a considerable sum. And, you pay it whether you have kids in school or not. Even if you don't have a house, part of your rent is likely going to pay the tax too.

The good news about the money part is that our money is doing pretty good things.

Tooele County schools are spending millions of dollars on improving our schools. With a budget of $6.75 million for capital improvements -- mainly physical improvements -- our schools will be more up-to-date, more organized and safer.

I am sure my friend is happy with that. I mean, everyone wants their child to receive a great education. But it's not just the job of a responsible school district.

Parents need to be thinking about education from day one. I would guess that most parents only really start to care about the local schools when their kids turn 5 years old. But as responsible citizens, we need to be aware of what our county schools are doing, and not just when it starts to affect us.

Tooele schools are in year eight of a 10-year plan of bonding and building to accommodate new growth. So nine years ago, people cared enough and had the foresight to start working on projects that will benefit your child in August. What sort of projects are being decided now that will affect your child and our community in 10 years? In education, we can not wait until the last minute; citizens need to be involved now to guide growth for the future.

It was estimated last year that Tooele County schools are adding 700 students a year. Already two new schools, Stansbury High School and Settlement Canyon Elementary School, are close to being finished to help accommodate that growth.

As more and more people come to call Tooele County home, we will continue to need more and more schools to educate our growing population. Why don't you go to a school board meeting, or even check out the Tooele County School District's Web site, to see what plans are in the works? Caring now will only benefit your child in the future.

Ann Herron is a journalist and former associate professor at Utah State University who lives in Tooele. She can be reached at annherron@comcast.net.