By Staff
To the editor:
I would like to encourage everyone in the Niles Community School District to show the students in our community how much we value them by getting out and voting Tuesday, May 6, 2008.
The RENEWAL of the building maintenance sinking fund is critical to our district. The one thing that has prevented us from being forced to build newer buildings is the excellent maintenance being performed on existing property, the scheduled maintenance of the building's roofs, and the ability to replace worn out building elements by the money generated by this fund. RENEWAL of this fund will not cost the tax payers anything additional and will prevent being forced to use monies budgeted for operational and educational purposes to repair and maintain our buildings.
Please support our students and vote YES for the Building Sinking Fund Renewal.
Additionally I would like to request your support for the open position on the Niles Community School Board. I have affectionately been referred to as an "Implant" to Niles, as our family moved to this district almost ten years ago after relocating from the central part of the State. Laura and I were first introduced to the St. Joseph and Lakeshore areas of Southwest Michigan, and made a conscious decision to live in Niles and the Niles Community School District.
With two children in Niles High School and one in Ballard Elementary, and my 15 plus years in senior high youth ministry, I am convinced of the importance of providing high quality education with the ability to offer a wide variety of educational experiences to the students of this generation. In my generation, the focus was to prepare every student to go to college. With the development of technology, the cost of post-secondary education, and the number of alternative types of post-secondary education, our schools must be prepared to educate students who chose to directly enter the work force in addition to those that are college bound.
My training and experience as a licensed architect in the States of Michigan and Indiana has taught me to approach every situation with an open mind, research and consider all possible solutions to the issue, and to weigh the advantages and disadvantages to determine the greater benefit to the largest population.
I ask for your support on May 6, and in return pledge to diligently support the education of our young people as a member of the Niles Community School Board.
Thank you and remember to vote.
Niles