As co-chairmen of the Pay It Forward committee we would encourage voters of the Greene County Community School district to evaluate the upcoming school bond issue with an open mind and with determination to provide the best educational environment possible for the youth of the school district.
To the editor,
We have spent a great deal of effort reviewing the proposed construction and feel it addresses multiple concerns efficiently. School finances remain complicated, but a project of this magnitude requires property tax support and a vote by the public to authorize the school board to move forward.
Consolidating to two buildings which address security, size of classrooms, safety of access by students, environmentally friendly heating and cooling with improved air quality, and enhanced gymnasium design for athletic and community use makes great sense to us. We believe this will allow improved ownership by students and staff, thus improving pride in our school district.
Recruitment of young people to our community requires a vibrant town and superior educational facilities are of utmost importance. We are fortunate to have a number of young families who have chosen Jefferson to raise their children, but often it has been difficult to get young professionals to move to more rural communities. Young health care providers are penalized by low reimbursement rates dictated by our high Medicare and Medicaid percentages. To offset that we have to have a lifestyle that appeals and educational facilities are high on their list. Teachers also want facilities that will help them achieve excellence, rather than providing barriers to learning.
Over the next few weeks we will be addressing details of the proposed building project in town meetings, with additional letters to the editor, speaking at groups throughout the school district and presenting material on our website. Please educate yourself about the deficiencies of our current buildings and the potential solutions to provide enhanced environments for our youth and our community. If you are willing to do that, we believe you will see value in the large undertaking to move our community forward.
Steven and Julie Karber, Jefferson
