Letter to the Editors of the Neosho Daily News and Joplin Globe - April 2, 2015
In the early
1970’s, my Great Uncle, Garland Douglas, advocated for a new school to be built
in Neosho. Nearly 50 years later, I have
picked up Uncle Garland’s torch and I wish to shine light on the realities
faced by us all. I realize my influence
will be very small and I may not change a single mind, so I just ask this of
you – please read my words with an open mind and pure heart.
Good people
have expressed to me they just can’t support the construction of Neosho Junior
High, because of mistakes “made in the past”.
I would like to tell you, mistakes have been made in the past and they
WILL be made in the future! YES, that’s
right I said they will be made in the future as well. Why would I say
that? The Neosho Schools are run by
PEOPLE and people make mistakes. The
real issue is not whether mistakes have been made, but rather how they were
made. I have looked back to my Uncle
Garland’s time and I have yet to find ONE single mistake made out of malice or
ill will towards you, the people. Not
one. Sure, you can argue “this building
should’ve been here, that one should have been there”, or “they should’ve done
this or they should’ve done that”. Life
does not come with a crystal ball, so all of us make decisions based on the
best information on hand at the time.
Some people
have expressed concerns to me over the cost of the increase and said, “I can’t afford
any more taxes”. I understand this, but
I counter with this – there is also a cost to doing nothing and voting no. If we continue to vote no and turn down
adequate educational facilities, we will pay for it in a loss of great teachers. Keeping an open mind please ask yourself, “If
YOU were a new teacher just graduating college and YOU were in the top five
percent of your class………. would you want to go to a School District with mobile
classrooms or worse yet a cart to push around from room to room all day … OR
would you select a school with a normal climate controlled classroom, where
learning can be facilitated.”????? We
must recruit and retain the very best teachers!
Adequate schools, which are not over-crowded, allow us to compete for
the top educators.
Lastly, YOU
benefit from adequate schools. Educated
persons are less likely to commit crimes.
Educated persons are generally higher wage earners who spend more in the
overall economy, which benefits business and creates jobs. The main reason America has flourished for more
than a century is due to the commitment to educate the masses. Not just the rich, not just those who are
deemed “most intelligent”, in America we educate everyone. Our forefathers knew there was a cost to
public education, but they were also wise enough to know there was a cost to
not having public education.
It’s time to
make an investment in our community and move the Neosho School District
forward. It’s time we address our real
overcrowding issues. It’s time we show
our teachers we value them and want to recruit and retain the very best. It’s time we value ourselves and all of the
Neosho area, just as Uncle Garland dreamed.
This is not only an investment in our children; this is an investment in
our entire community. It’s time to vote
YES for Neosho’s Future!
Looking to Neosho's Future,
Steve Douglas
Neosho, Mo.
