JACKSON'S BIG WIN

It feels good to be a winner. The Jackson School District has once again beat the odds and has promoted a successful building campaign.

Organizers should feel gratified by the overwhelming margin of approval. The school district needed 57 percent to win approval for the $7.8 million bond issue. When all the ballots were tallied, an impressive 66 percent of the voters supported the measure.

The district has handily approved several bond issues in recent years. Only one bond issue has ever failed. What's the secret to Jackson's winning streak?

Need certainly tops the list. The district is growing by leaps and bounds and is suffering obvious growing pains. Enrollment has increased by almost 10 percent in just the last two years. Quarters have been very cramped. Some classrooms had even spilled into hallways and storage closets.

The bond issue will finance a new elementary school in a growing south section of town. Additions at North Elementary School at Fruitland and Jackson High School will also be accomplished.

It is a major project -- $7.8 million is a lot of money -- but reasonable enough to fit voters' pocketbooks. The bond issue translated into a 20-cent levy for each $100 of assessed valuation. Instead of one gigantic blueprint, the Jackson district has wisely divided the improvements into a number of smaller packages, approving one every few years. It is much easier for voters to swallow.

Although the bonds are approved, the overcrowding will continue for a time. Some groundwork will start this fall. Officials hope the additions could be finished by the 1997-98 school year. But the new elementary school will take two years to complete. When done, the district plans to use the additional space to offer all-day kindergarten.

The bond issue's success is not only a tribute to school organizers, but to the patrons of the district. Most tax issues have a hard way to go these days. Many people vote against local taxes simply because they are fed up with federal taxes and other government programs out of their control.

But Jackson voters have been willing to bite the bullet to ensure progressive, quality schools. That kind of pride and support lifts up every teacher, staff member and student. School needs became a community obligation. It is a refreshing point of view.

No doubt the bond issue's success was a considerable relief to Superintendent Howard Jones. It marked the first bond vote since he became superintendent in Jackson. He has some hard memories of tough losses at his last school district. It must feel good to be on the winning side.