LETTER: A school plan worth waiting for

This Tuesday, the USD 489 Vision Team wrapped up six months of meetings by approving a final plan to present to the school board in a couple weeks. Without getting into the weeds on details, I wanted to share a few thoughts about this whole process now that we have a plan.

First, this is an entirely new plan that not only improves the educational environment for every student in the district but also has a considerably lower financial impact than the last bond proposal. Excuse me while I geek out a little, but this is awesome! Who doesn’t like getting more for less? This plan will effectively prepare the district for the future without overly burdening tax-payers, and that’s exciting.

Second, all of our decisions in terms of budget, priorities, and total scope of the bond were data-driven. It hasn’t taken years of committee meetings to assess the needs of the district because the district hired experts who could thoroughly assess every facility and compile the data in a way that gave us an accurate snapshot of the challenges facing the district. As a result, we were able to formulate a plan that rests on reality and not anecdotal evidence or vague opinion.

Thirdly, this process has illustrated a shift in the way the school district interacts with and responds to local leadership, and I’m encouraged by the new approach. When the Hays City Commission told Mr. Thissen that they would not support a sales tax to fund this bond, the discussion immediately turned toward how to maximize the scope of the bond while respecting both the City’s decision and the community they represent. There will be no petitions, alternate requests or efforts to bypass the commission, and I’m glad. This is a step in the right direction toward repairing some of the strained relationships among governing bodies within Ellis County.

Finally, this plan addresses all of the safety, security, and maintenance concerns that were a major part of the last bond proposal, except that they are addressed as part of larger (yet ultimately more affordable) projects. For instance, by the end of this project every school will have a storm shelter, but those shelters will be built into other projects on each site that will improve the efficiency and academic viability of each school. We don’t need fear to justify these projects as they won’t simply make our schools safer; they will make them better.

If I haven’t been clear enough already, I’m excited for this project. I’m excited to see the Vision Team present it to the school board, and I’m excited to see the community’s reaction to it. I supported the last bond, and I don’t want to start criticizing the last effort or anyone involved in it. However, having seen this plan come together as it has, I can now say that I’m glad the last plan failed. This plan puts less financial pressure on our community and accomplishes more for our students than I feel the last plan did. I hope that the community can get behind it.

Chris Dinkel, Hays