Speakout

Vote yes on R-6 bond issue

All the negative opinions about our school board issue have made me sad. I realize that our country is hurting right now, but it isn’t the end of the world and we need to look to the future. I have to disagree with the statement about new buildings not providing a better education. Let’s turn that around and say that cold, old, unsafe buildings don’t affect our children’s education. That’s just not true either. Prices go up. A gallon of milk isn’t 85 cents anymore. Our utilities, the price of gasoline, rent, the groceries, all go up. We have to consider the future of our town. No offense to the surrounding communities, but we are better. Let’s be Sikeston proud.

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June 2 is an important day for Sikeston. I have lived in Sikeston my entire life. If we expect our community to have a chance to grow, then we need to get behind this bond issue. You have to make an investment in education to give our community a future. Lee Hunter was built before I was born. It has outlived it’s usefulness. Those students need a better place to learn and this bond issue is the only way to make that happen. I’m voting yes for our future. I’m voting yes on the bond issue on June 2.

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Vote yes on June 2 for the future of Sikeston. I started first grade at Lee Hunter in 1958, our daughter in 1986, and my first grandson in 2018; second will be there in 2022. School buildings have a lifespan and Lee Hunter has outlived its usefulness. It is time to build a new up to date building. The same goes for “C” building at the high school and we have a great opportunity to build a “safe room” at the kindergarten by matching some grant funds. Let’s invest again in the future of Sikeston by voting yes on June 2.

Vote no on R-6 bond issue

I will vote no on the bond issue for a new school. I did the math and it too much of an increase. And yes, I did it right. It is too soon. You want another new school? Do it without a tax increase. You did it before, you can find a way to do it again. I agree with others, rates in Sikeston have gone up. This COVID-19 has shut down work. Money is tight for a lot of people. You need to go back to the drawing board. Find a cheaper and better way. You might also want to consider keeping the needs of the high school separate. Sometimes it is best to ask for a little instead of a lot. Thank you.

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I know the schools need new buildings, but how do you go up to someone who is out of work and say I want to raise your taxes? Maybe you should come up with another way to fund building new buildings or come back when half the town isn’t out of work. I’m worried about making my house payment right now, not building a school. I’m glad I’m reading in Speakout that others are going to vote no with me. It isn’t we don’t want better schools, but we have to think about our families first. Vote no in June, or whenever they have this election.

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If Sikeston schools would have updated their buildings from time to time they wouldn’t be setting here with all the buildings needing repairs or being replaced all at once. They have not spent money to repair older buildings that could have been repaired now they just say they just want new ones. They just say we can’t repair them they need too much work. We just want new ones that property owners can pay for.