Mayor lends support to schools

To the editor:

Jackson is a great place to live, work and raise a family. One of the biggest reason for Jackson's success is its outstanding school system. Everyone associated with Jackson schools does an outstanding job in educating our children and grandchildren. The test scores of our students are among the best in Missouri. We accomplish this even though our spending per pupil is among the lowest in Missouri. This tells me we are doing a lot of things right in Jackson's school district.

We now have an opportunity to insure that this excellence continues for many years to come. Our high school campus is much the same today as it was 50 years ago. Many of the facilities around the high school campus are simply outdated and worn out. The current plan for improvement would guarantee a bright future for our high school students for decades to come.

No one, myself included, is a big fan of tax increases. But when it comes to supporting our schools and our children, who are the future of Jackson, I stand in support of this important project.

I urge you to take a tour of the high school campus and see for yourself. After you take a tour, then make up your own mind as to what is in the best interest of Jackson and the local school system.

PAUL W. SANDER, Mayor, Jackson