[Vision2020] Vote YES on School Levy :-)

[Donovan Arnold]

Saundra,

You write, "BTW, I take great offense at the "ethical" objections to the 
grade
reconfiguration of having a four-year high school.  Get real!  It's
unethical, IMHO, to use scare tactics like that -- for shame, For Shame, FOR
SHAME!"

It is too bad that you do not take this point seriously, as originally 
brought up and posted on the FONS website 
(http://www.moscowfons.org/3-year_hs.htm) whose steering committee includes 
Kenton Bird and Lois Blackburn (big time right wingers :P).

The reality is the a huge percentage of underage teenage pregnancies occur 
with the male being three or more years older then the female. High Schools 
introduce drugs, smoking, and sex to teenagers in greater numbers then 
Junior High Schools, this is fact. Exposing younger teenagers that are more 
susceptible to these peer pressures should be on the minds of many parents. 
Junior highs rarely have these same influences. All factors should be taken 
into consideration when making changes to grade structure. Teenagers are 
under a great deal of pressure to fit in. Do you not remember? I do, I 
remember doing all sorts of things I did not want to do as a Freshman with 
my peers so the Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors would accept me. I am 
willing to bet the same is true today with many other teenagers.

I do agree that we need more funding for textbooks, or at least government 
deregulation so teachers can use textbooks that are more accurate. If they 
were accurate, we would not have a Columbus Day, which to me is like having 
a Hitler Day.

Take Care,

Donovan J Arnold

PS, I was in Moscow High School this week, and it needs renovation, but does 
not need to be thrown away, it is only 67 years old. Russell needs more 
care.

>From: "Saundra Lund" <sslund at adelphia.net>
>To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
>Subject: [Vision2020] Vote YES on School Levy  :-)
>Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 21:15:33 -0700
>
>The increased tax will be a hardship on our family, particularly with the 
>UI
>(courtesy of the State's devaluation of higher education & administrative
>mismanagement at the UI) continuing to erode health benefits, pay, etc.
>
>I share some of the concerns expressed by others:  our schools don't have
>enough text books (where is Arnold when you need him?), special ed 
>resources
>are too limited, etc.
>
>BUT . . .
>
>I've actually been inside the high school over the past few years, 
>something
>I suspect many of those opposed to the levy haven't done.  That school has
>served our youth well, but it's in sad shape now.  Some have mentioned
>declining enrollment -- well, thank GOD because the facility is inadequate.
>Period.  Perhaps the reason so many students eat off campus is because the
>facilities are sorely inadequate.  Parking is inadequate.  As long as
>*parents* allow their kids to drive to school (in some cases, all of a few
>blocks), parking at the current facility is going to be a problem for the
>students, for faculty/staff, and for our community.
>
>Construction isn't going to get any cheaper, and something *has* to be 
>done.
>Without more money than we could ever hope to come up with, there's *no* 
>way
>to make the current location work as our community's sole high school.
>
>A new high school is going to come too late to benefit my daughter, but we
>are in this community for the long haul.  So, I'm thinking about the 
>schools
>my daughter's kids (God willing) will have, my friends' kids will have, and
>the rest of our community's kids will have.  In this family, we're thinking
>about our community's future.
>
>Good people can -- and do -- disagree about the levy.
>
>We'll be voting YES on the levy because our community's most precious
>resource is our children, and we don't think this investment in our
>community's children is something we can pass up.  Our kids need adequate
>facilities, including an adequate high school.  Facilities aren't the only
>part of the equation, but they are an important part.
>
>BTW, I take great offense at the "ethical" objections to the grade
>reconfiguration of having a four-year high school.  Get real!  It's
>unethical, IMHO, to use scare tactics like that -- for shame, For Shame, 
>FOR
>SHAME!
>
>And, regardless of the levy outcome, I join many, many others in my sincere
>*gratitude* to the Trail family for their generous offer!
>
>And, my thanks -- again -- to the Facilities Committee and the School Board
>for their hard work sorting through the issues to come up with
>recommendations for us.
>
>
>Saundra Lund
>Moscow, ID
>
>The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do
>nothing.
>Edmund Burke
>
>
>
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