LETTERS: JACKSON FOLLOWS ORDERLY PROCESS

To the editor:

As a member of the Jackson community for the past 33 years and as president of the Jackson Board of Education, I would like to ask for your support for the upcoming bond and levy election.

As a board member for the past 13 years, I have watched our community and school district grow and hold on to the proud traditions that have guided our district through the years. The bond issue will enable the Jackson School District to make much-needed additions to the junior high school. It is the district's commitment to our junior high students to provide a facility that is large enough for program expansion yet an overall safe environment. While moving the junior high students to the high school has been suggested as a possible alternative, this would not provide the closed-campus atmosphere necessary to provide the proper learning environment for eighth and ninth graders. A commitment was made to keep our high school at its historical location when the multipurpose building and the math and science building were added. The current senior high campus is landlocked, which requires the district to purchase property when it is available. This problem has been addressed in the same way by the surrounding churches and St. Paul Lutheran School. A facilities study committee will be formed to address the continued needs of the high school in the future.

Our 1996 district facilities committee studied our elementary facilities and recommended that enrollment not exceed 600 students at any elementary site. Additional classrooms have already been added to West Lane Elementary, North Elementary, South Elementary and Orchard Drive Elementary. There are currently 1,800 students attending three facilities in a three-block area causing traffic congestion before and after school. Adding classrooms would only be a Band-Aid solution, while at the same time causing problems of overcrowding in cafeterias, gymnasiums and area streets. As discussed by the facilities committee in 1996, an elementary building on the east side of Jackson would provide the balance of transportation and enrollment needed for current and future growth.

While there have been questions regarding the district's expenditures and bonding capacity, our district's financial advisors have reviewed and approved these proposals as prudent and within our long-range bonding capacity. This district has always operated conservatively. Our annual per-pupil expenditure is substantially less than other districts our size. Even though we spend less, our students still achieve at a high level. The district was recognized by the Public Education Evaluation Report as outstanding in the area of fourth-grade math on the MAP test.

People moving into the Jackson area are telling the Realtors they are moving here because they want to be in the Jackson School District. A school district reflects the priorities of the community. If we are to maintain a quality community, we must maintain quality schools.

Finally, I want to say that the school board is always open to comments from the community. We seek and value your input. That is what will help us maintain the strong tradition of the Jackson school system.

DR. T. WAYNE LEWIS

President

Jackson Board of Education

Jackson