I would like to encourage every eligible person to vote in School District R-32-J in favor of the bond issue to build the new school for Salida.
I have undeniably been one to object to a lot of expenditures that I have felt are not necessary but rather in the long wish list. The various government entities were more liberal with spending our tax monies than this tight Yankee felt we needed. Actually seemed like the whole country was on one big drunk, and after every drunk we have to sober up.
With the squeeze on spending, it is more important than ever to prioritize what and where any of our funds are disbursed. I urge everyone to support the bond issue for the new Salida high school. We will never have this opportunity again where 41 percent of the cost will be provided as long as we residents and voters agree to the bond issue for the balance.
I would ask absolutely everyone to support this need. That means the retirees who have already received their education and may not have children in the school system today. Please remember you had the benefit of a good facility that now needs replacing.
As for the business people, I cannot be more empathetic for the heavy burden this places on all of you who are so generous supporting so many efforts. And yes, the tax on the businesses has never been fair and makes this a more challenging time to ask for even more. However, I hope you all assess your budgets to be able to discontinue some of the gifting in the past to allow for the increased tax burden since it is so important to keep our youth here or attract more business.
We are fortunate to have a fantastic medical facility for our small community. We now need the new school for us to go forward and prosper further.
Karin Adams
Karin,
Thank you, nicely said. I agree, this opportunity will never present itself again, and the need has never been greater as well. I truly think that we can not sit back and wait with the attitude that it is not good economic times. No one is going to pull us out of this recession – we must do it ourselves, and this could truly be an important first step at doing just that.
I graduated from Salida High School in 1971! Yikes! 1971. I can’t believe I can still go in the high school and point out which locker was mine, step down on the same foot peddle in the girls’ restroom today and watch the water spray out like a fountain from the circular sink. I can still easily find the classroom where the most foreboding teacher, Don Custer, stood outside his door and grimmaced at students acting foolish in the hallway, where Mr. King taught French and Mrs.Melien taught English composition. Upstairs Mr. Dunkhorst, tall and lean, taught geometry. In Mrs. Reese’s home ec class I learned how to make a cotton nightgown with darts and hand stitches no more than a quarter inch apart. She was always a target of some unruly senior boy who would taunt her by walking past the open room during class periods. The same hallway is there where we’d line up outside the cafeteria, waiting for our turn to grab a lunch tray, slide it along the stainless steel serving counter, kid around with Mrs. Bunker, and head over to an orange plastic table to sit with friends. I could go on…but you get the picture. It is time to give Salida’s students a new, fresh learning environment that stimulates excellence and expects only the best. Our community will only benefit.
A new school is a symbol that this town means business. A new school tells our children they are special and worthwhile. A new school gives our teachers and ancillary staff who work there a facility they can safely do their jobs.
A little surprised to hear this endorsement from Karin but I think it shows just how important this vote is. Thanks for stepping up and supporting this, Karin. One of the most important things a community has is it’s schools, however let us not forget our educators. While I am sure many of them would appreciate a monetary increase, giving them great facilities to work in is an edorsement of how much they are valued.