Letter to the Editor

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.