SPEAKOUT

Commitment

I attended Sikeston Public Schools and received an excellent education. In fact, many of my classmates at Sikeston Public Schools are teachers at the schools. I am certainly aware of their dedication and commitment. I an certainly appreciate the conditions that many of them are teaching under at Lee Hunter and Matthews by trying to teach in buildings built in the 1950s. I urge you to vote Yes so that these teachers will have the facilities to nurture and develop our precious children in a safe and secure environment.

A little overboard

Mr. Jensen, It is difficult to speakout against educational projects when you realize that a child's education is one of the most important issues of our present generation. They upcoming bond vote is one of those issues which carries mixed emotions with it. I for one believe we need to upgrade our school buildings and our education system, but in my opinion the bond issue proposal goes a little overboard. I think the school board has been sold a bill of goods by some out of town promotional firm which has no concern about our community, its residents or taxpayers. I could go on and on about some of the invalid reasons for this project but I doubt it would serve any purpose at this late date. Whether it increases your taxes, your rent or neither, whether you vote yes or no, don't complain if you fail to vote. As for me, I feel compelled to vote no at this time, -- A concerned citizen

It is sad

As a lifelong citizen of Sikeston and a graduate of Sikeston Schools, I am saddened by outside groups and nonresidents attempting to influence our citizens by spreading falsehoods and false innuendos in order to promote their own agenda. For example, what is known as Common Core has nothing, I repeat, nothing to do with the school bond issue. The school bonds are for the building of safe and secure school buildings. The bonds cannot be used to pay teachers or buy books. The law is clear on that point. I am not going to be duped by outside influences. All I have to do is drive by Lee Hunter and Matthews and see for myself the condition of the schools. I doubt any of these outside anti-Common Core groups even know where Lee Hunter or Mathews schools are located. I know where they are at in that I went to school at Lee Hunter in the 1950s and attended baseball games at Puckett Field at Matthews in the late 1950s. That is how old these schools are. I have the facts - I am voting Yes.

School board members

Mike, I find it very interesting that all of the Sikeston School Board members are Sikeston graduates. It does not surprise me that they have great vision for our schools. They were taught by great and caring teachers to set goals and make tough decisions. They have challenged each of us as patrons of the Sikeston Public Schools to stand up and be counted if you are for our children. They have challenged each of us to make a small sacrifice by paying more in property taxes to build safe and secure school buildings. They have challenged us to present opportunities for our children to compete in the future with the best of technology. The question is - are we up to the challenge? I think we are.

Taxed to death

In response to the school bond, I'm getting tired of the government officials (no matter what level they're on local, state federal) if they want to do something, let's just raise the taxes on the people. Let's put more of a burden on the people. That's how we can raise money to do anything. The people won't mind paying more taxes. It's okay. It's a wonderful thing. I'm sick and tired of it. I am voting no. My wife is voting no. I hope it don't pass. That's the last thing we need to do is pay more taxes. We are taxed to death. Just because you have fancy new schools doesn't mean you are going to have a good school system.