LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: GET INFORMED BEFORE DECIDING ON SCHOOL VOTE

To the editor:

I feel compelled to respond to some recent letters and Speak Out comments regarding the Jackson school issues. I feel that when people are forming opinions, they should have all the facts in front of them.

One fact that seems to be overlooked is that 55 percent of the voters in the last election voted for the bond issue, not against it. In most states, that would have been enough to pass. When people say the bond issue was overwhelmingly rejected last time, that's just not right. Had there been 111 more yes votes, we wouldn't be having these discussions.

Another issue I hear about is that the Board of Education has not been listening to what the public saying and is doing what it wants. I think many of the board members wanted to place the bond issue back on the ballot along with levy increase at a lesser amount, say 27 cents. However, at the board meeting when the board decided to place the bond issue back on the ballot, many people informed the board they would not support an increase in the operating levy and reminded the board that the levy proposal was soundly defeated, which it was by 55 percent of the voters. The board did listen to the public. In essence, the public said most of the voters wanted the addition to the junior high school but not an increase in the operating levy. As a result, the board put the bond issue back on the ballot and took the operating levy off. They didn't reduce the levy. They took it off entirely. While board members will tell you they still need the money the levy would generate, they listened to the public.

Another concern was a clarification of how the $6 million bond issue would be spent. Since then, the administration had made public exactly where the $6 million would go.

There is only one issue on the ballot, which it the bond proposal for an addition to the junior high school. The bond issue is for $6 million and would cost the average homeowner approximately $19 a year. If anyone truly believes there isn't a need at the junior high school and $19 a year is too big a price to pay, I invite you to attend one of the public tours the administration has scheduled. Go see what it is like in the halls when they change classes. Pick up a 44-pound backpack the kids have to carry all day because they can't go to their lockers. Go down in the basement and look in the rooms with no ventilation that our kids attend class in. Then form your opinion.

JACK LITZELFELNER JR.

Jackson, Mo.