I love public education!
As a product of public education in Missouri and a board member of Cassville R-IV School District, I find the impact and the concept of offering all children in our state an education to be amazing and life changing.
Other than my parents, some of the greatest influences on my life have been educators. When I think of growing up, visions and voices come to mind that bring happiness to me.
The sights and sounds of Faye Priest, Russ Robinson, Eunice Thomas, Verlee Roark, Gayle Fields, Colleen Slinkard, Becky Preddy, Paul Watson, JoAnn Ellis and John Knight, among many others, are the soundtrack and movie of my youth at Cassville R-IV.
They, along with my parents, helped shape me as a person and prepared me for life after school.
The dodgeball matches, exam prep and stress, band trips, lunchtime cat fights behind the Rock Gym, Friday night football games, and homecoming bonfires are just some of the incredible memories of growing up in our wonderful school. Generations before and after me have had similar experiences, which they carry with them for years to come. Simply said, they comprise the wonderful aspects of public education in Missouri and America.
You may be reading this and asking, why are we talking about public education now when it has been taking place for over a hundred years in our state and how does this tie in with a column that is somewhat financial in nature?
This is the year where lots of bills are being debated in Jeff City regarding public education. It’s quite the process to sort through which bills will help or hurt students, staff, and families who are associated with public education in Missouri.
Our local schools are the lifeblood and identity of each community in Southwest Missouri and most areas of the state, except the large metropolitan areas. In most communities in our area the local school is one of the town’s largest employers and drivers of that community’s economy. That’s why it is becoming more and more important for your local state representatives and senators to hear from you.
They need to hear real stories and voices regarding the vital impact public education is for kids and communities in our area.
Many times, we take for granted the impact of public education on the financial impact of our community. There are so many advantages of having a high school diploma, which include some of the following:
• Earn a higher income: high school graduates earn a national average of $8,000 more annually than those who do not finish high school
• Be more competitive when you’re applying for a new job
• Qualify for promotions at work
• The opportunity to start preparing for a career beyond high school
• Lifelong skills
• Pride in your skills and abilities Additionally, our local schools provide great jobs for the teachers, staff, and administrators, who make sure our schools perform well and safely. The financial impacts of these jobs are in the millions of dollars for our communities.
Later this month, myself, Cassville’s Superintendent Dr. Merlyn Johnson, along with several other educators from this area will venture to Jefferson City to discuss educational needs and opportunities with our local state representatives and senators. One of the bills we will be discussing is the open enrollment legislation, HB 253, working its way through the state General Assembly that would enable K-12 students to attend school in a nonresident district. We will be expressing our concerns and the potential negative impacts it could place on our great local schools.
Legislators who represent a portion of Cassville R-IV School District include:
• Senator Mike Moon: 573-7511480, mike. moon@senate.mo.gov
• Senator Karla Eslinger: 573-7511882, karla.eslinger@senate. mo.gov
• Representative Travis Smith: 573-7512042, travis.smith@house.mo.gov
• Representative, Scott Cupps: 573-751-1488, scott.cupps@ house. mo.gov.
Please feel free to contact them to express your support for our great public schools and how open enrollment could negatively impact our local schools.
Meanwhile, I will be reaching out to some of my classmates and reminiscing about our failed dodgeball strategies or the incredible fun we had on band trips with Russ Robinson.
Jon Horner is a local community bank president, published author, and motivational speaker. He can be reached at jonhorner77@gmail.com.
