I am never one to shy away from controversy and this post will certainly back that up. The title of my Blog has always been..."If we can't agree-let's at least be civil?" To preface my remarks, I have always respected those willing to face me and take issue with my beliefs. I am not all knowing and I learn more from those with whom I disagree, than with those whose beliefs I share. I respect those who see things differently, as they challenge me to be honest and better. To those who stand up and work to make Neosho better, particularly those who may see things from a different viewpoint, I wish to say "thank you", as you do make me better. Together, we can grow Neosho into the very best community.
As I write this post, on March 18, 2015, I am a bit saddened and frustrated. An anonymous letter has been circulated within our School District attacking the management of our schools and the need for a new Junior High. I don't take issue with the disagreement, I take issue with the method. As a proud Neoshoan , for my entire life, I believe in making this community the best it can be for all people. The only way to accomplish this is through honest dialogue and holding leaders accountable. The sending of an anonymous letter - sprinkled with innuendos and misstatements - is not conducive to a prosperous community. You may not agree with me and I certainly have made many mistakes in both my personal and professional life, but I have always stood up and taken responsibility for my actions. I have never hidden my name, even when I have been embarrassed. I say this first to say, I intend to respond to the points made in this "anonymous letter"; BUT I hope you will ask yourself who you should believe and trust the most, as trust is mentioned in this very letter....do you trust people who volunteer many hours to make Neosho better and are willing to place themselves "out there" for the personal attacks OR do you trust those who hide behind a pen with no name? The issue of improving Neosho's Schools IS all about TRUST, on this point the author(s) of the anonymous letter and I can agree.
To begin, the opening of the letter states the author(s) decided not to join the "Neosho's Future Facebook page", because they did not wish to be "bullied, criticized, made fun of, or called names, and don't like many of the rude and condescending remarks on the page." I will tell you, I don't like ANY such remarks. The fact is there has been very little of this activity on the page. I have read nearly every post and comment since the pages inception and I have appreciated the level of civility shown most of the time. Have there been moments of tension, yes there have been, but I have never been involved in any worthwhile project that did not have debate. Sometimes, people become spirited and cross a line. I never argue that is right, but at the same time to imply or overtly state this "page" has "many" such statements is unfair and untrue. I invite you to join the page and see for yourself.
We, on the School Board, or the organizing Committee for the Bond Issue have not spoken to any patron with an "attitude" or double speak, with ONE exception. I take responsibility for that exception and wish to address it head on....several weeks, maybe a month back, a wonderful Neosho resident, Deanna McClelland, made a statement on a post that I misunderstood and I went after the statement, not her as a person. I soon realized my error and publicly and privately apologized to her. I am human and I have worked diligently with a pure heart to MAKE NEOSHO BETTER. I have no hidden agenda and I will not speak to anyone with an attitude, nor will any of us working so hard to pass this issue. We only want what is in the best interest of our community.
Next, the first question addresses Early Childhood Education (ECE) and why we have Field School dedicated to housing this. (We also have a ECE program at Goodman Elementary). The letter asks if all elementary schools house ECE, no they do not. The letter goes on to imply we should not provide this service if we are overcrowded. I totally and emphatically disagree. Neosho deserves the best education system possible from its public schools. We should all be demanding the best. Many different research studies, on educational outcomes , indicate the most important time in a child's life educationally is up until the child is in the 3rd grade. Research has shown potential high school drop outs can be identified by the 4th grade! This developmental time is crucial for a child. Due to limited space we currently do not offer enough space to provide ECE to all Neosho students who are of age. I will simply say, every school of our size not only in the region, but Statewide, offers some type of ECE. Instead of cutting this service back, I support expanding it to every qualifying child. Their quality education depends on it. This is not a "babysitting service" , as alleged in the letter. It is a valid - research based - educational program and we all need to support it. In fact, we should be emulating the Carthage School District who just recently passed an issue to construct a brand new center for ECE. Such facilities draw in progressive young families, who will spend money with Neosho businesses, too.
Directly to some of the statements in the first bullet point of the letter Barbie Lake replied best, when she said, " 4
year olds are not in the elementary buildings. We have an Early
Childhood Center for preschool in Neosho and Goodman. We receive title
one funding for these preschools. Head Start is not part of our
district so I can't speak of the services. Early
learning is very important especially for at risk children. Without
preschool, often times these kids are behind as early as kindergarten
and first grade and they are never able to catch up."
To the next statement, bullet point number two, I am not going to shy away from us providing nice "homey" spaces to our kids. I certainly understand some people don't agree with this and that is thier right, but please allow me to point out somethings....times change and if we expect America to compete on a World Stage, we better change out educational settings. Just because you got a wonderful education without "homey" areas, 15, 30, or 50 years ago, does not mean it is improper today. The items placed in the Middle School, for the after school program, were generously donated by the John Mills Family, after his long time Neosho Business, Mills Park Centre and Appliance, closed. Instead of criticizing these furnishings, we should be celebrating a long time Neosho Family who gave valuable resources to children. I appreciate what the Mills' Family did and I hope more of you will donate to our kids and their happiness. Also, much has been made about a fireplace in the High School Library. if you don't agree with this expenditure, which was in the neighborhood of $2,000, then hold me accountable. I voted for that item and I stand by my vote. I believe and again research supports educational facilities with an atmosphere welcoming youth tend to have better educational outcomes. These items are not placed in our schools to waste money, they are placed to benefit our educational environment. Look around at every new school built in the last 10 years within 100 miles of Neosho and you will find such items that can be criticized, but they are there for a valid reason, not to waste money.
Still with the second bullet point, there is a question as to why classroom space was used to form a seventh grade office at the Middle School. The issue is simple, we needed to better serve our students and manage our resources. Our Educators, who are experts in childhood learning, believed it was in our students best interest to form a "Junior High", now, no matter if the community supported the physical building. Our Superintendent believed this was in the best interest of kids. Since that decision was made, there has been an obvious and marked improvement in teacher morale. The teachers of the 7th and 8th grade are the very ones who became organized and cared enough to lobby me to change my mind and vote to place this bond issue on the ballot. I was initially against this, because I was frustrated by the lack of community support. BUT, these teachers, who are served by this new make shift office, felt it was vital we do something now! To that point, I want to directly counter the authors of this anonymous letter on this very issue....our school district has repeatedly come to you and literally begged for help. We have said children are suffering educationally and we are unable to provide adequate services, due to our physical building limitations.... and often the community has voted "no" and handicapped us from being able to afford reasonable and proper solutions....so, we think outside the box and play the hand we were dealt....to remodel an area - all the while knowing this is not the most ideal situation - in order to better serve kids .... and then the very people who vote no criticize us for making such a decision. I am sorry but there is irony and hypocrisy in that position and I am not meaning to be rude or condescending to these individuals, I am merely stating what I believe to be fact.
Further into bullet point two, I agree mistakes were made on the design and location of the Middle School building. There is no plumbing on the west side back wing of the structure which severely handicaps our ability to expand that facility. But, unfortunately, that horse left the barn 20 years ago. I am unable to rectify it. I have learned from this mistake and we, as a Board, have been diligent in demanding our current architects and administrators plan for all contingencies, so such errors are not repeated. I do take issue with the comment saying the Middle School was built in a "flood plain", this is untrue. There is not a "flood plain", as designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in this area.
I am unfamiliar with the specifics of the allegations about water damaging Benton Elementary and Carver Elementary, after their respective completions, so I am unable to respond to that point.
The letter goes on to make reference to the current land being proposed for the new Junior High. The author(s) question the purchase price. As I sit at home and write this reply, I am unable to recall the exact dollar amount of the land purchase, but it is fair to say it is in the ballpark of $350,000 for 70 acres m/l. The authors question the price of $5,000 per acre. There is a liveable home on the property. The home is red in color and the second home south of Maple Drive, on the west side of Kodiak Road. There is a barn and a pond on the property as well. This is a fair asking price. I challenge you to find land cheaper that is along a paved road, within a mile of access to an interstate highway, has city water and sewer nearby, and is suitable for construction of a school. If you owned this property, you would feel $350,000 was a fair price. I encourage anyone to drive by and examine the location and home, from the road, then compare prices for comparable real estate in the Sunday Paper. You decide if the price is too high. I have looked and I find the price is fair.
The money raised from the sale of the Taylor Property, which is located at Highway 86 and Kodiak Rd., was used to finance the furnishing and establishment of Carver Elementary, to save the taxpayers money.
To the third bullet point, we must have offices for our Principal and support staff. they need to be centrally located in the building. Could they be in trailers? Sure they "could be", but is that right either? We must have an office for our Principal. We are overcrowded. We need your help.
To the fourth bullet point, our Administrative Center (The old Rec Center) is used for offices and as a training facility for our wrestling program, which is housed in the old gym. The "security guard" does have space in this building for a desk. The "security guard" is in fact a sworn Neosho Police Officer. To question what he is "guarding" by having his office space in this facility is no different than questioning why we have a police department or sheriff's office downtown. Cops don't sit in their offices all the time, in fact they often and regularly patrol. The School Resource Officer goes to all of our campuses and is prepared for any situation, to best serve our community.
To the fifth bullet point, none of us has down played the new soft ball field, located north of the Carver Elementary. In fact, I have asked , again, to be held accountable for this decision, as I would not vote for it, with the information I now have. I did vote to fund it, back in 2012. That is NOT to say it was not needed or that it was a waste of money. It was needed, as we had no facility for our softball team to play on. We were allowed to use the field at Crowder, but there were scheduling conflicts, as it was not ours. Again, the community has ignored needs for so long, that the list is all over the place. My regret comes from my vote being made when I did not have all the facts. I was only on the Board a few months, when I cast my vote in support. I later learned we did not have a good master plan in place that accounted for this facility in a list of priorities. (Since that time , we have developed a solid master plan, for our facilities, and we have prioritized) I should have known better and asked more questions. I learned a valuable lesson, that has greatly helped me with decisions on the FEMA shelter and the Junior High proposal. NOW IF YOU ARE STILL WITH ME, PLEASE DO NOT MISS THIS NEXT POINT....if we can build a new Junior High, it will be across the field, within walking distance, of the softball field....at that point the construction and placement of the softball field will look wise and provide locker room space and concession areas that could be used at a cost savings. So, this could be a good decision. Time will tell.
To the sixth point, I have seen people remark that a new school will reduce bullying. I am not going to make that claim as I have no way to honestly support it. But, I will say....it is common sense that less crowded facilities that are used within their proper design limits ARE safer. It is safer in a fire and it will be safer in a security setting. Anecdotal evidence here, from my own life, my daughter graduated from NHS in 2014. In speaking with many of her female friends, I was appalled to learn how many of them have been groped at some point in the crowded halls of Neosho High. Ask around for yourself and see what the female (even some male) students tell you about inappropriate touching in our crowded hallways. I was a police officer for more than 20 years, in this community, so I feel I am qualified to say, as an expert, a new school WILL provide a safer setting for our kids. Will it stop bullying? Probably not, but will it improve upon a despicable unsafe situation??? YES!
To the seventh point, we have extensively discussed and studied the traffic impacts of the new junior high. We have facilitated a traffic study by our architects, Sapp Design Associates. The ONLY new traffic, into the area, will be from the addition of the 8th grade. The Neosho Special Road District has already completed an awesome upgrade to Kodiak Road and Old Seneca Road, which is immediately north of our proposed location. The City of Neosho has generously dedicated $100,000 to the improvement of Waldo Hatler Memorial Drive and the Hale McGinty intersection. The Neosho Transportation Development District (TDD) projects completion THIS year of millions of dollars in road improvements to the immediate area south of the Middle School. Traffic in the area IS being addressed.
To the 8th point, yes propane buses were slightly more expensive than diesel buses, BUT we thoroughly researched this and believed we would be able to save $100,000 over three years by purchasing these buses, even taking into account the higher up front cost. Since that initial projection was made, our latest projections indicate an even greater savings will be realized. We were recently informed of a .50 cent per gallon rebate from the federal government, to encourage use of this alternative energy. Again, on one hand we are criticized for "wasting" money on a couch and a fireplace (around $2,000), but when we save more than $100,000 , we are AGAIN criticized. I simply don't understand. We have been VERY open and transparent about the propane buses. We held discussions in a couple to a few public meetings openly displaying our thought process. We are looking at ALL aspects of our operations to see where we can save money, yet still serve kids educational needs. We will continue to do so.
At the bottom of the second page, the author(s) gives some ideas about how to solve the overcrowding, by shuffling kids from this building to that building and moving other services to trailers.....first of all , we do NOT have the space to adequately do this, as an assumption is made that any particular grade can be moved to any particular building and have their specific needs met, this just doesn't work in reality. We have professional educators who have established the current building assignments. They have the background to know what is best for kids and I trust them. Further, the author(s) seem to indicate it is acceptable to move certain employees or programs into trailers. I will have to agree to disagree with that and state, NO trailers are acceptable on any of our properties. IT IS TIME Neosho stands up and takes back the glorious pride of our past......which did NOT settle for trailers, but rather literally reached for the stars and sent Americans racing to the moon! IT IS TIME Neosho once again leads and does what is not only best for kids, but for the ENTIRE COMMUNITY. We need to stop settling for second rate half assed plans. IT IS TIME we do things RIGHT!
Finally, the last page of the letter says there is a gym in the High School FEMA addition, this is UNTRUE! There are 18 new classrooms.
Then the question is posed about why such large shelters at South Elementary and Carver Elementary? Easy, the facility at South is designed for the students and residents who live within one half mile. Placing hundreds of people into a shelter takes space. We utilized the grant money to add a gym and presentation stage to South, which previously had neither. The facility at Carver is also designed to house their students and faculty, which is more than 600 people. Again, that takes space. Day to day, the Carver FEMA shelter will be used for additional classroom space. We have applied for grants to place FEMA shelters on the campuses of all Elementary Schools and the Middle School, but we have not been approved for any others. We hope that approval someday comes.
Now, particularly erroneous information is found in the next paragraph of the letter, when the author(s) lump the Neosho School District into the disagreement about the TDD. This is unfair and mistaken. The Neosho School District stayed neutral throughout the much publicized dispute. We continue to have good working relationships with both the City of Neosho and the TDD. There are great people on all sides of this project, they just see things differently. All parties wish to see Neosho grow. Further, many people on both sides of the TDD issue have endorsed the new Junior High , as they see it is vital to a better community. We have no ill will towards any party on either side and we have NO "in-fighting" at all with any party.
I encourage any of you who authored this letter to contact me at any time and discuss these issues. I will say that I am disappointed in myself and realize I have failed in my efforts to bring about a better Neosho, as you have felt unable to identify yourself and come forward for a friendly reasonable discussion. I wish all people of Neosho would come forward and pool resources to make this a better place. To start that, we need a real dialogue. Real dialogue requires true relationships, which will never develop with an anonymous foundation. Thank you for your time..........as always I leave you asking, "IF WE CAN'T AGREE - CAN WE AT LEAST BE CIVIL?'
(Below I have included scanned images of the anonymous letter, for your review.)
