Dear Editor:
Yesterday I attended a public forum about the upcoming vote on Propositions J and C. Dr. Larry Linthacum, JCPS superintendent, and Tom Carr, a member of the Long Range Planning Committee, answered our questions. These leaders, with others in our community, have worked hard to formulate a good proposal and to communicate the need for a second high school and major renovations to JCHS. I've followed the discussions in the News Tribune and on social media. I am convinced that our community needs to support this bond/levy issue.
Financially, it makes sense to begin the building projects as soon as possible. Interest rates and building costs will only rise if we try to "kick this can down the road" again. The outdated HVAC and technology systems at Simonsen and JCHS have wasted money and instructional time for years, and improvements in those areas will be substantial. With two high schools, overcrowding - a problem for years - will be alleviated. If we reject the bond issue, within a few years the increasingly large classes in grades K-6 will reach secondary schools, and we will have a crisis. Prop J will also allow Nichols Career Center to regain classrooms currently needed by JCHS. In addition, the planned auxiliary gyms at both schools, which will double as storm shelters, will be assets to our community.
Supporting Prop J and Prop C will make Jefferson City more attractive to the people who make a community vibrant. We want the best and brightest new teachers and other professionals, as well as small business owners. Mr. Carr, who serves on the board of directors at Capital Region Medical Center, observed that when new doctors come to Jefferson City, they often decide not to buy a home here, citing the age and condition of the public schools. Instead they move to surrounding communities and commute.
Our current levy is in the bottom third of our state, $1.68 less than similarly sized MO schools. If J and C pass, we will move into the middle third. The two buildings we will gain will not be the "Cadillac" of schools, but they will do much to address the needs of our community.
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