Being a member of the Marshall Public School's Board of Education is a privilege and an honor. I have shared that honor for nearly nine years with a group of people that give of their time and talents, at no cost to the District, so that our children will be prepared for their future.

Having said that, I wonder why we do it. It is certainly not for glory nor one's ego. You have to work with six other board members and the district's administrators to make decisions that are right for our children. Getting seven people to agree on an issue takes a lot of give and take, talking things out and then supporting the decision when it has been made. Then you have to wait for the fallout about those decisions from the patrons of the district.

People outside of the board room do not have all the facts or other information the board has access to. That is because in some cases the information we receive can not be discussed in public according to the law, so the public never really knows how much research, thought and discussion goes into making those decisions.

Other decisions are arrived at by what information has been forwarded to us in any given month, as it progresses, at board retreats, or what is in our board packet that comes out the Friday prior to the regular board meeting. If there is something we need clarification on, we individually send questions back to the Superintendent. This is usual practice for many boards so that individual board members are ready to make decisions at the meeting.

The board does not go off and make decisions without doing research, and lots of careful thought and discussion. Would you like someone without the facts second guessing everything you do? Have you ever attended a board meeting to see what is taking place? We make these decisions because we want only the best for our children, nothing more and nothing less. Just remember that we are only human, just like you, so things are not perfect or error free. When we do find that there is an issue that needs additional work and thought we have gone back and reviewed our action. Example: the swimming program at MHS.

The board has been discussing, another bond election since the last one failed. We knew that we needed to face the people again and ask for bond money for a new building, there was no choice in the matter. So this decision has not been made with no forethought or lack of planning. If you wanted to know about what is really taking place or had questions, why didn't you come out to at least one of the public meetings like other people did? Are you afraid that we could give you an answer that would cause you to change your mind and support the bond issue? Is it more fun to hide in the back round and insinuate things than to know and speak the truth about this bond issue?

There will never be a consensus on the land we build a school on. Someone is always going to think that someone else is making lots of money off the district or that it is to near or to far away from their house. Others will not like the land because of the streets it is going to be located on or that now they still have to make two or three stops to deliver and pick up their children each day.

Yes, we would like to build two buildings and move pre-kindergarten thru grade five to one location but we lost the chance to have that elementary campus, built all at one time, when you voted down the last bond issue and the two prior to that. Since that time costs are up and still climbing. But now interest rates will never be better than they are right now. Also, contractors are looking hard for jobs to do, so bidding on the project well be competitive. All of this leads us to believe that we need to strike now, while the iron is hot, before we run into more increased costs and interest.

As for getting more designs for a building -- well let's just say that we are stuck with the architects because of a clause in the contract that was negotiated when the very first bond issue was presented for a vote. Architect firms that deal with school districts work on contingency. That is, they do a lot of up front work for the school district before the bond issue is even voted on. They draw up preliminary plans, review possible building sites and offer many other services to the district way before the bond issue has been voted on. Therefore, the company has spent money of its own up to this point and has not been paid a cent by the school district. This is common practice when it comes to dealing with school districts.

To go out and ask for different plans at this point would mean that the district would have to pay the current architect firm for all the work they have done so far which amounts to a very hefty amount of money. This course is not justified. The educators of the district are satisfied with the current plan as presented to the board.

The teachers, administrators and support staff have put in many hours with the architect to design a building that they need. Why would the present board or any board second guess the people in education about what they need in a building for educating your children. That just doesn't make sense. That would be like me telling an electrical engineer that his design is all wrong when I haven't a clue what electrical engineers do or what is needed for his design.

The board has, in the past, listened to the patrons of this district and poured millions of dollars into buildings like you wanted us to and what do we have -- old buildings that are still costing hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to maintain. We have buildings that are not energy efficient so cost much more for utilities than a new energy efficient building would cost. We have buildings that have the potential of becoming health hazards for our children and the staff. If we had passed the bond the last time we would have closed four old and expensive to maintain schools and today be closer to dealing with the Middle School and High School. What used to be OK for education is not OK for education today. Our classrooms are dingy and cramped; also the buildings don't support all the technology that our students need.

My husband always told our children, when they were younger, that in our family their "job" was to go to school and get the best grades possible. Would you want to work somewhere that does not support you and the job you do? What would you say and do if you knew that your employer had the means to improve your working conditions and support you and the job you do and doesn't do something about it? Every time you vote down a bond issue you are telling our children that they are not worth spending money on. It isn't the Board of Education you are saying no to. It is the children and their education, along with the teachers, administrators and support staff you are saying no to. Don't be that negative person always mad about what is happening. Be part of the solution and step up to the plate and do what is right for our children.

I challenge you to think of our future which is our children. Think about keeping those children here in Marshall when they finish all their schooling. Think of our community and what a new school building is telling the people who look at us. We don't live in a closed community. We live in a worldwide community that is shrinking every day and we have to prepare our children for that shrinking world. Tell that shrinking world we want our children to have the best possible opportunity to thrive in the new world that is evolving. Show your support of our children's future and that of our community by coming out and voting yes for a new beginning for the Marshall Public School District.

We are only 20 plus years behind doing what has to be done. Now is the time to set things in motion so that we can continue to have a school district that we are proud of and that our children can flourish in to become all they can be. We can't wait any longer!

Editor's note: This letter was published in The Marshall Democrat-News Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009.