LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: JACKSON JUNIOR HIGH HAS TOO LITTLE SPACE

To the editor:

As members of the 2000-2001 Student Council of Jackson Junior High School, we feel it is our responsibility to tell the community of Jackson that we need its support on Aug. 8.

When school starts, we will head back to small, overcrowded classrooms that we feel make teaching a difficult task. It is our understanding that this year, due to overcrowding, the school administration was forced to schedule three lunch periods at 20 minutes apiece versus two lunch periods at 25 minutes apiece. The middle lunch period will have a split class. This means that students will go to class for 30 minutes, then go to 20 minutes of lunch, then back to class for 25 minutes. A schedule such as this makes it nearly impossible for students to learn.

On Aug. 8 the citizens of Jackson will have an opportunity to fix these and other problems that are facing the junior high school. When the junior high was built, it was supposed to accommodate 600 students. Current enrollment has surpassed the 750 mark with enrollment numbers expected to grow to 800. Not only do numbers this size present problems on what and how well a student can learn, it is also a hazard to the students' health. Many of the conflicts that occur at the junior high are due to the fact that students do not have the personal space they need in hallways and classrooms. How can a student be expected to learn to his or her maximum capacity in a classroom filled with over 30 students.

We don't know if members of the community are aware of the "dungeon." This is the basement of the school. There are several classrooms 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 grandchild who is attending or will soon 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 a community that we are proud to be a part of. We cannot let our past, whether it be positive or negative, determine our future. We must join together as a community to ensure that the future of Jackson is as bright as its past.

As Jackson Junior High School Student Council members, we join together to say: Our schools, our future. Vote yet on Aug. 8.

JUSTIN GIBBS, ELIZABETH NUSSBAUM, CHASE WALKER, ADAM HOSP, MALLORY GOODMAN, CURTIS FELKER, EMILY CURTIS, STACEY BROOKS, MARANDA DERRICK, JENNIFER SNELSON, ERICA KITE, LENI FLUEGGE, JORDAN COX, KARA THOMPSON and TYLER TANKERSLY

Student Council

Jackson Junior High School

Jackson, Mo.