Vote yes for Proposition S

Dear Editor,

On April 6, the good citizens of the NEVC School District will go to the polls to vote for or against Proposition S. Surely, it will be a significant date in the history of the school district. The opportunity to invest in the lives of the 240 students that attend there will hang in the balance of the voters.

My wife and I have five children in the school district and have several other nieces and nephews attending school there as well. We are completely in favor of building a new school through this process and stand firmly behind the school board in its decision to take the bond issue to the voters this year.

The school has proven itself academically through its accreditation score of 12 out of a possible 14. The school was recognized as second in its class in 417 Magazine, as being the school that best prepared its students for college. Our FFA program is the best in the area and the students do well in competitions. Our FBLA kids recently swept the district competition. Because of its good academics the school is gaining notoriety and is in no way in a position to be shut down. It's not even a legitimate question. NEVC will go on in the future, beyond the April 6 vote. The real question is how well it will go on without the proper support and financial backing. We must act now to capitalize on federal grant money. The government is starting to draw back the purse strings and focus on reducing the national debt, and there are no guarantees of any "stimulus or grant" money being available any time soon beyond this year. Interest rates cannot go much lower and the local economy could sure use some construction going on in the neighborhood.

There simply comes a time when it is of utmost importance to take a stand for what is right for the community. The two school buildings have grown old and highly inefficient and must be replaced. It does not make sense to continue to dump the taxpayers' hard earned money into money pits The time has come to combine the high school and elementary school under one roof in a new facility -- no longer the "Schell City Bears" and "Walker Pirates," but truly the home of the "Knights." It is time.

It must have been a wonderful day when these two old buildings were first built and began serving their respective communities, and it will be another fine day when we, the voters, decide again to construct a unified school on April 6. It's really all about caring for, and loving our neighbors, and investing in the lives of our district's children. It needs to start with a YES vote April 6 and never end. They are simply worth it.

Respectfully yours,

The Kevin Gilpin Family