Upcoming bond issue the main topic at candidate forum

The candidates in Jackson's April 5 school board election are focusing on one issue -- $27 million.

That's the amount of money the school district would get if a proposed bond issue passes with a supermajority of 57.14 percent. The money would go to build new facilities and renovate existing ones, some of which were built in the 1920s, and would cost the average owner of a $100,000 home about $128 more per year in property taxes.

The issue failed in the November election by less than 1 percent, but at Monday night's candidate forum at Jackson's high school auditorium, current board members stressed the need to pass it next month.

"I firmly believe this is a must," incumbent Mack Illers said. "Now is the time to do it, to come out with a better education for our children. That should be our No. 1 objective."

The other incumbents, Terri Tomlin and T. Wayne Lewis, agreed.

But the fourth candidate seeking one of the three seats, challenger Jim Blakemore, did not.

"As I've talked to people, things have evolved," Blakemore said. "Some aren't happy, some are. Some folks are positive, some are not. I'm being a spokesperson for the others.

"We need to take better care of the facilities we already have and get a better pay scale for our teachers and staff."

Blakemore has said that he would like "to see the school board embark on a more reasonable building campaign, instead of one that will burden seniors and family farmers." In his view, a proposal with a smaller financial commitment would have been preferable.

The candidates supporting the bond issue said that voters should embrace the measure because better facilities would improve all aspects of life in the community by attracting residents and business.

"Even if someone has no children in the school, I would try to convince them that it would only improve our community standing in the state," Tomlin said. "When a business or person is looking at coming here, the first question they ask is, 'What kind of school do you have?'"

The candidates also discussed issues like student-teacher ratios and employee pay raises. Most agreed that smaller class sizes are preferable, but Blakemore dissented, arguing that money to hire more teachers won't solve the problem.

"It's not the amount of money you spend," he said. "It's taking care of the people that you have and instilling virtues in the kids coming up."

He called for raises for faculty and staff when they do good work, and other board members agreed that the district should find as much room as it can in times of tight budgets to reward competent employees with raises.

"The reality is you do want to get paid for what you're doing, and I feel raises are important for anyone," Lewis said.

Illers said Jackson teachers are paid below the state average, but perform above the average, and Tomlin said the board has given the best raises it could for the past three years to compete with other districts in the state for educators and administrators.

msanders@semissourian.com

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