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| Giving kids the tools to graduate and succeed in our society is my main goal, as a School Board Member. |
A Field of Dreams: when athletics drives kids to succeed...............in life!
In May, of this year, I joined other members of the Neosho School Board in unanimously voting to build a new Softball Field, Locker Room, and Concession Stand, on property immediately North of George Washington Carver Elementary School. I have heard from many of you, the patrons of the Neosho R-5 School District, who are upset with the expense of this project. I have heard you don't understand why we are spending money on such a "frivolous" project, when we have such a huge overcrowding issue.
I would like to respond to these concerns, in a public way, so I chose the use of my Blog. Now, let me give you my disclaimer: I am speaking only for myself here. I respect every member of our Board and know each of them has the very best interest of our School at Heart, but I do not pretend to speak for any of them, so if you want to know their thoughts, please go ask them.....
EVERY vote I make as a Neosho School Board Member will ALWAYS be with the best interest of the students and District as a whole in mind.
I feel our District is at a crossroads and we have many needs. We have sub par facilities and when I ran for election, I made no bones about my feelings in this area. I have repeatedly said, "Our kids deserve the very best education and to have great facilities, just as kids in Joplin, Carthage, Webb City, Monett, Nixa, Republic, and Willard do."
We have to face facts, we have neglected our facilities for decades! In the years since we established a Softball Program, for our High School Lady Wildcats, we have NEVER had a field of our own. We are unique in our conference, in that regard. We were unable to host District Play, which brings people and tax dollars into our area. But, more importantly in my mind was this: "What message were we sending to the young ladies in our District?" Were we telling them how important it was to be a champion and succeed in life?
This project is not just about money to me, but I realize how expensive this project is and I deeply respect responsible use of YOUR tax dollars. This project is also about keeping kids in school, improving their academic achievement, and encouraging them to go to College. Athletics does all of this. Most all Researchers have come to this conclusion: Extracurricular involvement DOES translate to academic success, in High School. Further, most all research shows kids involved in Extracurricular Activities have a lower instance of dropping out.
According to the United States Department of Education No Child Left Behind: “The Facts about 21st
Century Learning” in 2002, students who spend no time in
extracurricular activities are 49% more likely to use drugs and 37% are
more likely to become teen parents than those who spend one to four
hours per week in extracurricular activities. After school hours of unsupervised time for youth can lead to one or more life altering poor choices. (Taken from http://www.wvmetronews.com/hsSports.cfm?func=displayfullstory&storyid=47924).
Study, after Study has shown - kids who are active in Extracurricular Activities are likely to have better grades, higher scores on the SAT, and less instances of substance abuse and depression. We MUST do all we can to encourage ALL kids to succeed in school. I desire excellent results, from EVERY child within the Neosho District.
IF a new softball field keeps 5 kids every year engaged in an activity, when otherwise they would have been wandering the streets, would you support it? What if only one kid per year stayed in school, because they loved softball? Would it be worth it? Now, mind you, that is 10 kids in ten years. Who will these kids become? What would they have become if they dropped out? THAT brings me to my final point.........
Every one of us is in this together! We sink or swim based on what happens in the Halls of ALL Neosho Schools. Did you know it easily costs more than $12,000 per year to keep a non-violent offender in a Missouri Prison??? Did you know High School Dropouts are much more likely to be arrested, than graduates???? Do the math.
You see, as I was voting on this issue, I thought about the big picture, not about the large expense (which I agree the new softball field is) today; but rather the many rewards to our society tomorrow.
I encourage those of you with questions and disagreements on this issue to reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you. I also would like to invite you to become involved and come to our Board Meetings. This issue was discussed for more than a YEAR, at open Board Meetings, and to my knowledge not one person came and spoke against it. We are here to represent you!
(I could go on and on with so much more information on this issue, but in the interest of time I will close. If you have further questions, just ask!)
If we can't agree - Can we at least be civil???????..................
