School Bond Good Investment for Senior Citizens
By Brother Rogers
Some senior citizens asked me to spell out in plain English what the proposed school bond issue for the Starkville School District would purchase and how it would affect them.
For seniors, the bond issue is an especially great value. In short, you help over 4,000 children in Starkville receive a high quality education for just pennies a day.
The proposed amount of the bond issue is approximately $26 million. For citizens over 65 whose home is assessed on the tax rolls at $100,000, the increase in taxes is only 6 cents a day or $1.72 per month. That’s only about $20 per year, which is hardly noticeable.
If your home is assessed at $150,000, then the extra amount you pay is only 17 cents a day or $5.16 per month. That is about the same price as one trip to Wendy’s or McDonald’s per month. That’s one less value meal to show we value education.
A senior citizen would likely spend more on one trip taking grandchildren for ice cream than he or she would in several months for helping 4,000 children get a better education. That is a lot of bang for the buck.
Exactly what will these pennies per day buy?
At Sudduth Elementary, our children will get a two story classroom addition with 13 additional classrooms.
At Ward Stewart and Henderson, commonly known as “the Hill,” our children will have a new classroom addition with 26 classrooms connecting all three major buildings on campus. One of the best changes is the removal and disposal of the blue metal building. My youngest son learned to play the violin there, and his gifted class meets there today, but it’s an eyesore, not to mention inadequate and dangerous in a storm. Getting rid of that metal building is his favorite part of the new plan.
Henderson, which is visible from old Highway 82, will get a major facelift, which is long overdue.
Armstrong Middle School will house grades six through eight, becoming a true middle school. Why the change? The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, known as SACS, recommended it during their recent accreditation visit. The bond issue will allow 25 new classrooms at Armstrong and an expansion of the cafeteria to accommodate more students.
Starkville High School, where my oldest son graduated last May, will have a new addition to the north side of the building that includes new classrooms and more secure access to the building. The main building was built the year I was born, 1965, and will get its first major renovation, providing 7 new classrooms.
The Millsaps Votech Center will have its foundation and its roof repaired. Finally, about a half million dollars will be spent on new desks and equipment for students at each of the campuses. All these details and more are online at www.starkville.k12.ms.us.
I hope these details help seniors see how much our children need their help and how little their help will cost. Many school facilities are outdated or inadequate. Growth in our community is leading to overcrowding. Still, student test scores are rising. Our teachers are doing a great job, but we as a community have to do all we can to support them.
My grandmother attended a one-room schoolhouse in Sessums and later was in the first class that graduated from the Greensboro Center, where as an adult she taught seventh grade. She and her generation knew the importance of education. To the seniors of Starkville, thank you for making life better for my generation. Please help us continue that progress by supporting the school bond issue for the next generation.
Brother Rogers is a guest columnist for the Starkville Daily News and works at the Stennis Center for Public Service.
Some senior citizens asked me to spell out in plain English what the proposed school bond issue for the Starkville School District would purchase and how it would affect them.
For seniors, the bond issue is an especially great value. In short, you help over 4,000 children in Starkville receive a high quality education for just pennies a day.
The proposed amount of the bond issue is approximately $26 million. For citizens over 65 whose home is assessed on the tax rolls at $100,000, the increase in taxes is only 6 cents a day or $1.72 per month. That’s only about $20 per year, which is hardly noticeable.
If your home is assessed at $150,000, then the extra amount you pay is only 17 cents a day or $5.16 per month. That is about the same price as one trip to Wendy’s or McDonald’s per month. That’s one less value meal to show we value education.
A senior citizen would likely spend more on one trip taking grandchildren for ice cream than he or she would in several months for helping 4,000 children get a better education. That is a lot of bang for the buck.
Exactly what will these pennies per day buy?
At Sudduth Elementary, our children will get a two story classroom addition with 13 additional classrooms.
At Ward Stewart and Henderson, commonly known as “the Hill,” our children will have a new classroom addition with 26 classrooms connecting all three major buildings on campus. One of the best changes is the removal and disposal of the blue metal building. My youngest son learned to play the violin there, and his gifted class meets there today, but it’s an eyesore, not to mention inadequate and dangerous in a storm. Getting rid of that metal building is his favorite part of the new plan.
Henderson, which is visible from old Highway 82, will get a major facelift, which is long overdue.
Armstrong Middle School will house grades six through eight, becoming a true middle school. Why the change? The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, known as SACS, recommended it during their recent accreditation visit. The bond issue will allow 25 new classrooms at Armstrong and an expansion of the cafeteria to accommodate more students.
Starkville High School, where my oldest son graduated last May, will have a new addition to the north side of the building that includes new classrooms and more secure access to the building. The main building was built the year I was born, 1965, and will get its first major renovation, providing 7 new classrooms.
The Millsaps Votech Center will have its foundation and its roof repaired. Finally, about a half million dollars will be spent on new desks and equipment for students at each of the campuses. All these details and more are online at www.starkville.k12.ms.us.
I hope these details help seniors see how much our children need their help and how little their help will cost. Many school facilities are outdated or inadequate. Growth in our community is leading to overcrowding. Still, student test scores are rising. Our teachers are doing a great job, but we as a community have to do all we can to support them.
My grandmother attended a one-room schoolhouse in Sessums and later was in the first class that graduated from the Greensboro Center, where as an adult she taught seventh grade. She and her generation knew the importance of education. To the seniors of Starkville, thank you for making life better for my generation. Please help us continue that progress by supporting the school bond issue for the next generation.
Brother Rogers is a guest columnist for the Starkville Daily News and works at the Stennis Center for Public Service.