Dear Editor,
I have been to the community meetings and read all the articles about the Shepherd School Bond. I have yet to express my opinion, but here goes.
I have gone to Shepherd since kindergarten. I have sat in the kindergarten building and it wasn’t the best back then either. Since then, the kindergarten building has been condemned and our youngest students have been misplaced.
I have sat in the library when the septic system isn’t working properly and stinks up the entire library building. I sat shoulder to shoulder with my classmates, in the lunchroom for 2 of my 6 years (K-5) in the elementary. Then, we were moved to our classrooms, and I thought we didn’t have space in the lunchroom. Try eating on those desks.
I remember seeing ceiling tiles leaking or being fixed at least once a month. I remember sitting on the bench, by the office, due to no space in the nurse’s office.
I was a part of the first 6th grade class to move over to the Jr.High. I have changed in the middle school locker room for P.E. and sports. For those of you that don’t know, there are no lockers, there is one toilet, one shower, a couple benches, and one small room to change in, for those that don’t want to be out in the main room. With 7th and 8th grade girls basketball teams, that have had up to 20 girls on each, and the 5/6th basketball team, in that one locker room, things got a little chaotic.
My mom is a teacher at the school. I have witnessed her classroom issues firsthand. There aren’t any windows, no a/c, no heat, no moving air whatsoever, and two electrical outlets. She shares a classroom, due to lack of space, and it is a very small classroom.
I’m now in the high school. I work in the outdated and very small science lab. I have seen leaking ceiling tiles. I have sat in a completely full classroom for some classes. I have been the kid not sitting in the lunchroom during lunch due to lack of space. I have sat in the lobby, classrooms, and offices during lunch in my two years in the high school.
This is why there is a need for a bond. This bond will fix all these issues. It will provide kids, like me, a better opportunity to learn and excel. We need to get students out of the hallway and into to classrooms. We need to address these issues in the school. We need to pass this bond. This bond will give us more space, FCS labs, science labs, admin offices, a new lunchroom, a new kitchen, and secure entrances. This is not about sports. Everyone has a right to their opinion, and I respect that, but I also have a right to my own. Take a tour through the school. Sit down with Mr. Carter. Come to the community meeting, March 20 in the multipurpose room. Visit weareshepherd.org
This bond needs to go through because of the many issues at hand, and to better our learning and ability to grow. Students are the future. We are the future lawyers, teachers, nurses, surgeons, military, or whatever we choose to be. We could be your future nurse or lawyer, or fighting for your freedom. Does our education not matter? Choosing to say no to the bond, tells every student, like myself, that you don’t care about our education. Our future can one day affect yours, so making sure that we have a good education growing up, is in your best interest. Our future for education is in your hands, please make the right decision.
Abigail Downing
Shepherd
