The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Which Path Will You Choose?
Dear Editor,
On April 5, we will come to a crossroad in the La Harpe School District.
There is a very important decision we all need to make about the future of our children's and grandchildren's education.
We need to decide which path the La Harpe School District will take. There are to two paths we have to choose from.
The first path promises several things.
We already know enrollment has declined in recent years and will continue to decline for several years.
With state and federal aid based on student attendance and fewer students in school, cuts in programs are necessary.
These cuts will likely be in programs such as vocational classes and other elective courses.
Also, with fewer students, fewer elementary class sections will be required, resulting in larger class sizes in some grades. Eventually this path may lead to the deactivation of the La Harpe High School.
The other path also promises several things too. There will be a larger enrollment in the new High School District.
There also will be a more enhanced curriculum, including a full array of vocational classes offered to the students. With this path the La Harpe school community will maintain control of it elementary school. La Harpe will also have representation on the new High School Board.
You know the two paths and where their destinations will lead. I will choose the latter on April 5. This path has much more to offer our children with a more promising future.
Dan Horton
Member, La Harpe CUSD 335 Board of Education
Dear Editor,
I am writing this letter mainly to the residents of the La Harpe School District Community, but what is happening in the La Harpe District in regard to finances has already happened in other districts and could happen in your district.
I have lived in the La Harpe School District all of my life and have seen many changes. Many times we are reluctant for change to take place.
Not everyone was happy when the schools in the small communities surrounding La Harpe closed and all the students came to La Harpe, but everyone adjusted and it worked well.
La Harpe has been a conservative district for years. We have one of the lowest tax rates and lowest salary schedules in the area.
Taxes have been raised the allowable amount without requiring a referendum; expenditures have been monitored closely and cuts have been made in personnel and activities during the last two years. Still we find we are faced with having to make even more drastic cuts for the next school year.
Everyone has heard about the declining EAV and enrollment that directly affects the amount of tax money and general state aid money that we receive to operate our school.
Just as everything in our personal lives and businesses costs more, so does the school's expenses.
We have come to a place where we can't continue to operate as we have been. It is time for change to occur whether we want it to not.
Even if taxpayers would approve it, and tax rates are raised to the maximum legal limit for a unit district, we cannot continue to operate without reductions in personnel, programs, and activities. We will pay more taxes for less education and less activities for our students!
We have a chance to change that. We can converge with Dallas City, Nauvoo-Colusa, and Carthage Districts and form a new high school district with representation from each district.
We would still be able to have control of our own elementary districts. Some of the districts need this very badly right now while it is not such an emergency for others.
We are an example of just how quickly this can happen with a school funding system based on EAV and student enrollment.
The four school boards all voted early in 2004, in our gymnasium, to support a convergence effort.
Emergency or not, those board members looked to the future and were not afraid to take a stand for a solid education for students for years to come. A Committee of Ten was formed and they have worked endless hours to put all the information together so we can vote on April 5.
I know an important issue is still uncertain. This is, of course, whether the state will fund the construction grant for the new building or not. The application is approved and we have been assured by our legislators that it will gradually be funded. If that occurs, the maximum building bond rate would not be necessary.
If the convergence passes, and the building bond doesn't, at least the new district will be in place and the four communities can begin to implement a transition plan and work together to build a new high school building.
This could provide so much more than we are able to for our high school students. This also would solve another problem for our district.
We could move our elementary students out of an old, outdated building into our existing high school where some improvement and changes could be made with funds that could be obtained for that purpose.
I hope everyone will seriously consider that we as voters have a chance to make a huge difference in what we can offer our students.
Since we will have to pay higher taxes anyway, it makes sense to me to have a new school and better curriculum and activities for our high school students and a better building and opportunity for our elementary students.
I feel there is something further that I need to say. In the position that I am in as unit and board secretary, I have witnessed first hand what has gone into the changes that have been made in our district the last few weeks.
I have seen the hours and hours of time spent by our administrators and school board members trying to come up with the least hurtful way to reduce the budget deficit for next school year for both students and personnel.
All of the board members have children or grandchildren in school. They are fully aware of the impact that their decisions have on everyone involved.
This dedicated group of people made the decisions to issue reduction in force resolutions and make cuts in activities with a great deal of concern and difficulty.
They know what an outstanding group of teachers that La Harpe has who work tirelessly to provide a very good education for our students.
They also know how important the student activities are to everyone.
We have some outstanding young people who take part in these activities.
I am in contact often with teachers and other members of the staff. I eat lunch with several of them in the cafeteria.
I consider all of them my friends just as I do the administrators and the members of the board.
I again have seen first hand the concerns, frustrations, and yes, heartbreak of several of these outstanding teachers who are facing looking for new jobs and possibly even relocating families.
I just want the community to know how very difficult this whole process has been for everyone concerned.
Due to the high quality of our teachers, the students will continue to receive a good education.
If class sections have to be cut, it will more difficult but our teachers will make it happen.
Everyone will work together to provide the best education possible under the circumstances for our students.
I know parents and community members are also willing to help in any way they can.
This can be a temporary situation if convergence passes. If not, it will just take a little longer.
It saddens me to hear unwarranted remarks and even jokes made concerning what it has taken to deal with the budget deficit. I haven't seen a lot to laugh about.
Please consider how what you say might affect those who have and are working very hard to make good, though difficult, decisions.
I know the majority of the community wants to work together for the good of the school district. Remember to vote on April 5.
Pat Deitrich,
Unit and Board Secretary
La Harpe Unit School District