LETTERS: JACKSON STUDENT URGES YES VOTE

To the editor:

I am an eighth-grade student at Jackson Junior High School and a member of the Student Council. Every day I go to school and sit in small, overcrowded classrooms that I feel make teaching a difficult task. During our lunch period, the cafeteria is so crowded that some students have to sit on the floor to eat.

On April 4, the citizens of Jackson will have an opportunity to change some of these problems. When the junior high was built, it was supposed to accommodate about 650 students. Current enrollment at the junior high is 750. Next year the school population is expected to grow to 800 students. Not only do numbers this size present problems on what and how well a student can learn, it also is a hazard to the students' health. Many of the conflicts that occur at the junior high are due to students not having the personal space they need in the hallways and classrooms. Also, I ask the voters how a student can learn to his maximum capacity in a class with 30 students.

I don't know if members of the community are aware of the dungeon, the basement of the school. There are several classes in the basement that are not suitable for students. How can a student properly learn in a poorly lit, cold, damp, concrete room? If you have a child or a grandchild or you just know someone who is going to be attending the junior high, you should not think twice about voting yes. In today's world you succeed by being better educated than the competition. The students at the junior high cannot receive the education they need and deserve under these conditions.

Jackson is the city of beautiful homes, churches and schools. We cannot let the past, whether it be positive or negative, determine our future. We need to look at our future with a positive attitude and work ethic. We will then obtain positive results. Being negative and allowing negative thoughts to govern our actions will lead to negative results. We need to continue to do our part to ensure that the future of our city is as bright as its past.

So, if you want to help your kids be successful, if you want to help your kids be safe in your community schools, if you want a good school system for a community your are proud to be a part of, vote yes on April 4.

JUSTIN GIBBS

Jackson