Dear Editor:
Since the Jefferson City Public Schools is limiting the number of people allowed to attend their informational meetings, I would appreciate it if a spokesperson for JCPS would answer a few questions about the new high school academy concept by responding in the paper so many more people will have a chance to assess answers to questions they might not otherwise be able to ask.
• Seven academies are proposed: What if one or two academies are very popular and become overloaded with students while others are too small to justify the staff to keep them viable?
• The handout I have from JCPS states: "The district will conduct facilities to allow for separation by academy (making a larger school "smaller') while also providing significant common space (cafeterias, libraries, hallways, meeting rooms, gyms, etc.)" Since all of these common spaces are plural, will each of the seven buildings have their own dedicated facilities? (Seven cafeterias, libraries, gyms, etc.)
• With a projected 3,000-plus enrollment, will the one road, Mission, into and out of the school be able to handle the volume of cars and buses considering that the new hospital also will be using the same road?
• Will you give the voters a comparative cost schedule of the annual costs for principals, teachers, support staff and maintenance personnel for the academy approach versus the two-school approach?
• In the handout "At a Glance" from JCPS the section on bond and levy states how the academy concept school will be paid for and adds "... potentially a new elementary on the east side of Jefferson City." Will there be a definite decision on that new elementary school prior to putting it to a vote in April? If it is decided not to build the school, will the bond and levy increases be deceased to reflect that decision? If it is decided to build this school, what will it cost? The key word here is potentially. When we go to the ballot box, we are not potentially increasing our taxes. I believe voters want to see in a more precise manner how much money will be taken in and where it will be spent.
• The voters will be asked to pass a bond issue and an increase in the levy. What if only one passes?