LETTER TO EDITOR

Dear Editor and most importantly, USD 273 I am writing this, not to tell you how to vote and why, but to say THANK YOU to a great school district.

We moved here, 45 years ago. We had one child on the way.

My husband and I were young, scared, and clueless as to what we were doing. About to be parents for the first time, starting a new business, and moving into a new community without knowing very many people.

Both of us grew up in very small rural communities.

One in Smith county, one in Jewell county. And, I went one year to country school, riding on a horse. Wow!!

Showing my age!

Fast forward 5 years, and we were sending our first child to school. It was to a home on Main Street.

Thank you to Michelle Heidrick for giving our son and two other children, a great beginning to school in what I perceived as a large school. My graduating senior class was 10. My husband’s class was a little bigger, but not by much.

It was 10 years between our first and our last child.

Our oldest began school in 1985 and our youngest graduated in 2007. Each of our children chose to attend the college of their choice. They all completed at least 6 years of college education, and none less than a master’s degree in their chosen field. They all put themselves through college with very little college debt. Not because of us, but because of the great solid educational foundation they were given by the elementary and secondary education they received here at USD 273. Two out of the 4 children are serving in higher education in Arizona, NAU, and California Universities, CSUMB.

The other two children are serving in other professions in this community and in Clay county.

From the beginning of our first child attending school in 1985 to the last one graduating in 2007 it was continual change. The cost of education has been on a steady rise forever, and will continue to do so. My husband served for 16 years on the school board. I want to thank ALL of those who have served and are serving on the school board. You are doing a great job of advocating for our children’s future. Not only our children, but also the teachers and staff that it takes to run a public school. It costs more now per student than ever before.

The public school system has to meet EVERY child’s needs. I praise God that we serve ALL children. Our youngest son was diagnosed with dyslexia in the second grade. The school counselor did the testing, and Mrs.

Kadel was his teacher and she asked to work with him through the summer to help him overcome it. They continued to work with him throughout elementary school. So, thank you Mrs. Kadel , Mr. Kopsa, and the special education teachers! What great team effort to help a child overcome a handicap.

I remember a time when I was in elementary school that there were people in our little community who did not want their kids going to school with the special needs kids. My dad served on the school board then.

I don’t believe there were any guidelines at that time for special needs children. My dad was adamant about education because he was only allowed to go to the eighth grade. He was adamant that ALL kids have the same opportunity. He also served on the board of the Vocational Technical School when it began. He knew how important higher education was.

I get it that you don’t want your taxes to get higher, I don’t either, BUT when it comes to our children’s education, I KNOW it is money well spent. The high schools that my husband and I attended are no longer there. If we want to keep young people moving to the rural areas, we MUST INVEST in our school systems.

I want to speak LIFE into my children and grandchildren. We can either fight change with negative, critical, judgmental thinking or we can come alongside and say, “How can I help to make things better for the next generation?” We are willing to fight for and spend money on the unborn, which I agree with, but I feel that we need to advocate and fight for the born too! We MUST continue to support and encourage and strengthen those who are with us now. I am not talking about financial support only. Are you doing everything in your power to support the next generation? Are you SPEAKING LIFE or are you pointing out everything that has been done wrong? I have a quote on my office wall that says: “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”

I do not want to be one of those who sits, soaks and sours on the younger generation. They did not walk in my shoes and I know I could not walk in their shoes.

USD 273 has a very positive, encouraging, caring, kind, joyful group of educators and staff working there. They want every young person to be successful in life. They are a National School of Character. They are SPEAKING LIFE into every student. They did it for my children and now my grandchildren.

We have always loved kids and we have always hired kids to work in our business. We want to be a positive influence on them and we want to SPEAK LIFE into them.

Let’s STRENGTHEN, ENCOURAGE, SPEAK LIFE AND UNCONDITIONAL LOVE INTO ALL HUMAN BEINGS!

Jeannette Luke, Beloit