The Independent-News, Volume 117, Number 49, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 30 April 1992 — Page 4

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- THE INDEPENDENT-NEWS - APRIL 30. 1992

editorials]

SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION Tuesday, May 5, primary election day 1992. This alone would not raise much of an eyebrow around these parts and on its own merits of such, create almost no interest at all. However, this primary election holds something more than the uneventful national, state and county primaries that affect us, this election also includes an election for four seats on the John Glenn School Board of Trustees. In a lot of years this as well would not make a major impact on the primary election, but this year, for the second time in two years, one issue has come to the front and has caused a lot of interest in this election. With all the comments one way or the other, the accusations, the implications, the reasoning, etc., this matter has come front and center and is going to stay there. Despite the fact many people say this shouldn’t be a one issue election, this issue is real and has to be put to rest one way or the other. The battlelines drawn here center around money. It is the taxpayer who is hollering and concerned about the tax rates, not an anti-education group or anything like that. With an economy that has not been the best and for many is still a real downer, anything concerning taxes is going to create interest. It can be a healthy situation to really have the taxpayer and average citizen involved. However, a need does exist for some action to be taken along this line. The important thing now is to find the best way possible to come as close as possible to satisfying the majority of the people. The school board election has four contested seats out of the seven who set on this important decision-making group. Each of the four townships involved in our school corporation, has one seat available and no less than 12 candidates are fighting for these four seats. Liberty Township has two seeking that seat, Lincoln and Johnson Townships have three candidates each, while Polk Township has no less than four seeking the position from that township. And one must remember, even though a candidate is running on a township basis, all four townships vote for all the candidates, giving the entire district a voice in each township’s race. Many words have been written, statements made, fingers pointed, etc., that makes the issue of the new middle school building front and center in this election. Many will say this is not a one issue election. True, but there is one very key issue and the decision to proceed with this process despite a lot of protest and reactions, makes this issue the key point regardless of what anyone wants to say. It has happened before, in fact just two years ago when one issue came to the front. It had a definite affect on the school board election. Whether one wants an issue to be this important or not, it is at that point and Tuesday’s results will tell much about how people feel. Looking over the candidates, there are 12 people running who probably all could contribute to such a board in one way or another. The key issue is not going to be the only thing they will deal with. The four year team beginning on July 1 of this year, will have the running of a multi-million dollar operation front and center. New school or not, there is business as usual to be held and running such a business is not just a routine matter. It takes time, dedication and yes, a lot of hard work in its own way. One certainly doesn’t seek such a position for the money. There has to be an added dedication to serve in such a capacity to make it successful. We would also be remiss if we said any of the candidates are perfect for the job. It has been proven over the years that even the best of school boards need a lot of help and this comes mainly from those chosen to assist the board, make recommendations, handle the daily tasks of running the schools, making the decisions that can’t just come back to the board every day and in general, working closely with the board as the administration and teachers have the hands-on advantage a board does not have. Each must be dependent on the other. Another fact enters in, and this has been noticed in our school corporation plenty of times before. One board may feel one way, the next board differently. Making long range plans sounds good, but long range plans don’t mean much if a change comes and with it a change of feelings or interest. Each one has their own ideas and priorities. A lot depends on the make-up of a board and certainly the help it receives, especially from the superintendent and key administrators. The situation the JGSC has had recently of such a rapid turnover of superintendents, cannot have been healthy for the overall operation of the schools. We do hope that one way or the other, this problem will outlive the election of the board and a consistency can remain that is beneficial to all, regardless of the decisions made. The election is Tuesday, the candidates are there. It is now up to you, the voter, to elect your representatives on the school board for the next four years. Issues, personalities, promises, whatever, it is still your privilege and obligation to exercise your voice through the voting process. Boards and individuals will come and go, the school system will live on. We just hope the best solution can be a result, regardless of who is and who isn’t elected. All the candidates have their strengths and weaknesses and it is often hard to find all this out, but give it a try and exercise your opportunity to have a

“Just My Thoughts” Just my thoughts on the issue. 1 don’t know whether we need a new Jr. High School or not. My opinion is maybe in 10 years. Whatever is right or wrong we didn't have to jump without thinking. The school board should have asked for public input before going ahead with such a large project. I myself have never hired an architect before. I’m not saying one is not needed but to pay $600,000 dollars. I have to agree with the previous “voice” in this paper. “That’s ridiculous!” Then on top of it all its all non-refundable. To put it lightly, they must of seen you coming, while they laughed all the way to the bank. This is a thought maybe some of this money could have been used to buy land. The perfect place being across from the high school behind the church. Instead of trying to squeeze all the school buildings onto one piece of land which is just big enough for John Glenn High School. I think some common sense should have been used before writing out a non-refundable $600,000 check. Then to use the non-re-fundable issue as reason enough to build anyway. The only thing I can say is the cards have been dealt. We have to play them now or fold. I guess I’m a never say die person. Question! Has the school board put any thought in the future of Urey Middle School. Personally I thought of a large apartment building. This could be done with the right investor. Maybe if someone could talk with the state. The Department of Corrections are always growing. I think that this old school could be a prime location for a Juvenile Rehab Center. The Department of Correction is always in need of such facilities. Maybe if the right deal was made, some tax credits could be arranged or some kind of financial wheeling and dealing could be done to offset some of the damage the school board has done. I think some kind of study could be done on the future of Urey. If the state were to be interested this could add an additional 30 to 40 jobs in Walkerton plus added businesses to the community. I know this would be welcome news. Now we could try to fight the school board. Logically, I think the school is going to be built anyway. So instead of going full steam ahead, let’s slow down. Let’s make sure there are no more outragiously priced items on the bill. Let’s make sure this is the school we want before we build. After all for $600,000 we should be happy with the design of the building. Also let’s think twice about the location of the new school. If you build where you plan to there won’t be much room for growth in the future. While there are still a lot of unanswered questions. Let’s try and use the assets that we presently have. Let’s try and find ways to finance this school without having to rely on our tax dollars all the time. Let’s use our assets to soften the financial blow to the public. Lastly, 1 think we need to take a look at our present school board. Let’s vote on some people who have some kind of common sense. People who care what we think. People who won’t act without thinking of the consequences. People who won’t try to slip one past us, but in turn will be straight up with us. Then maybe this sort of thing won’t happen again. Just My Thoughts “Bricks And Mortar Don’t Teach” As a school board member of the

say by voting next Tuesday for the John Glenn School Corporation Board of Trustees.

John Gelnn School Corporation for the last six years, I feel it is time that I voiced my opinion on a few items concerning the John Glenn School Corporation. First of all, on the subject of the proposed new middle school project: It has been falsely stated that it is the “school board’s” project. It is the project of the whole community, the only difference is that the school board has been working on it for years and the vocal community only became interested in it when the word 'taxes” was applied. We were thinking about taxes when we developed our position statement February 3, 1987. We stated that “construction of a new sixth through eighth grade facility by the fall of 1992 should be considered”. The reason 1992 was the magic number is because we would retire a large debt at that time. "Bricks and mortar don't teach”. That is the most overused and ridiculous statement I’ve ever heard. Using that same reasoning, we could teach driver’s education without vehicles because “cars don’t teach”. We could offer swim classes without a pool because “water doesn’t teach”. Bricks and mortar does provide a warm, dry, safe and pleasant environment conducive to learning. It is the responsibility of local school boards to make these facilities available. Concerning Urey Middle School, some facts should be recognized: 1. The staff and administration is of very high quality. 2. There are needs at Urey that must be addressed. 3. Response to the needs will likely cost money. 4. The taxpayer will be the one to pay for these remedies. 5. The remedies should be made with the children foremost in our minds. 6. The remedies should be long lasting in nature. The present school board has identified these needs, and they have addressed them and responded with a proposal to build a new middle school at the site of the present John Glenn High School. Ignoring these needs will not make them go away. I don’t think anyone can honestly tell you that a new middle school will cure all the ills we have at this time, but I can tell you it is a big start and it is the best solution 1 have heard yet. I will say that killing the project will not be the final answer either. Transporting kids to North Liberty and building on to the present building there, as some have proposed, is not the cure all in the long run and doesn’t meet the needs of all the children and parents in the community. My main reason for writing this letter is to remind everyone that Tuesday, May 5, 1992 is the day when you as voters will determine the direction your school system will take for the next four years. There is a group that I will refer to as the “negative group". Their vocabulary is filled with negatives such as: opposed, against, not, don’t, won’t, etc. Ask them what they are for and they will side step the question. Ask them what they are against and they can talk for hours. Serving on a school board is a very serious and responsible activity. It should be treated as such. The “one issue” candidates can kill the new middle school project, but, once that is done, we still have a school corporation to run. Will they be there to help, or are thev onlv there to stop this project? The John Glenn School System is a positive system, why would we want a negative school board? You the voters, will tell us on election day. Nilas L. Miller School Board Member John Glenn School Corp.

‘‘School Board” I believe that we should be concerned about our school system, in the quality of education and the cost of it. I also know the burden we have put upon our school board members, to give our students the best possible education at a reasonable cost. As a past member from 1974 to 1986 I also experienced the burdens and long hours of being a school board member, as did other past board members. In 1985 the Middle Schools (grades 6,7 and 8) were addressed. We spent countless hours with teachers, principals, outside consultants and public meetings, trying to educate ourselves and the public for the future development of our Middle School programs and buildings. The results of this study was, Number One, set up a long rage plan. The plan was to move sixth grade students to the elementary level and combine middle school students at Urey. Then build a new middle school with financing beginning after 1992 lease payoffs; of course there were more items in this plan, but these were the major ones. The present board has spent many hours with studies of their own, and they are recommending the same plan adopted years ago. I believe that a new board (if there is one) will adopt this same plan, if they spend the time necessary to fully examine the alternatives. Look at our school board members, I’m sure that they don’t want all the controversary and headaches. It would be easy to ride along and do nothing, have two meetings per month, and not hear the phone ringing off the wall. But they are doing the job we elected them to do, and regardless who we elect, I feel they will come back with the same plan; that is if they do their job and have the welfare of our students in mind. Since the consolidation of Tyner, Walkerton and North Liberty, we have moved from average or below average school system to one of the highest in the state. Let's keep it there and not move backwards. When we vote for our school board members, let’s not vote for an individual just because he or she is for or against a building program. Vote for someone who is willing to dedicate four years and the number of hours necessary to give our students the best education possible. “To The Taxpayers” To the taxpayers in the John Glenn School Corporation and all the voters, this is the time for you to have your say so, get in there and vote. Vote intelligently, don’t just go in there and blackout. The present board members that are up for re-election, leave them at home. They have done enough dirt to the taxpayers. It’s time for a change. It’s like a child that needs its diaper changed, get a whole dean bunch of new personnel. Get somebody in there that’s got good judgement what we have lacked today. Mr. Hostetler, I don’t live in Polk Township, but don’t be so stupid, we own over 200 acres that we pay taxes on. The taxes will be due the 10th of May, maybe you can say something at the treasurer's office that I don’t live in Polk Township and I get my taxes free. A Taxpayer From Polk Twp. Ed Dolph “Stffl Waiting” Well, election time is nearing and we haven’t forgotten how the present school board with the prior superintendent railed to answer the question long ago put before them. That question was, 'Where in the plans are the necessary repairs for the North Liberty Elementary, at $5.5 million, and the necessary repairs for the John Glenn High School?’ Then superintendent Dick Reese and the present school board failed to be accountable to the patrons of (continued on Page 13)