Your Opinion: School district commended for transparency, communication

Dear Editor:

As parents of a Jefferson City Public Schools student, we have watched several issues with concern: a need for additional and upgraded facilities at JCPS; and concerns, as reported in the press, about issues or events at JCPS facilities.

As we have told other community members recently, we have confidence in, and fully support, our public school district. We were pleased to have recently received direct communications from JCPS about the facilities and class sizes at East Elementary. Following this, JCPS sent additional communications about plans for specific short-term solutions to assist with the East campus.

We look forward to continued communications from JCPS leadership about plans to address these concerns along with other needs within JCPS as a whole.

We know firsthand the urgent need for new, upgraded, and additional facilities at JCPS, and support this effort fully. Many JCPS buildings are beyond capacity; this includes JC High School along with East, Moreau Heights, Pioneer Trail, and West campuses.

Demographics show the district's enrollment has steadily increased since 2007, and with current projections, most of our school facilities will be beyond capacity within a few years.

People have asked whether we support having one or two high schools at JCPS. Our answer has been that it does not matter as long as the focus is on quality education and adequate facilities for our children. Our largest hope is that the community, through all our support and involvement, will come together so teachers, staff, parents, and students can achieve the best for Jefferson City.

Our family has seen true caring, dedication, and a passion for teaching from the JCPS educators. This has made a real difference in our lives. Each year, our son receives an outstanding education from teachers working diligently to keep students engaged.

Any concerns we have had have been quickly responded to and addressed. With our son in ninth grade this year, we were concerned about overcrowding and the old Simonsen campus.

In spite of these challenges, our son continues to achieve and thrive. His teachers and classes are excellent as evident by his enthusiasm for school. Get involved in the school your child attends. If you don't have a child attending JCPS, find a volunteer opportunity so you can see firsthand what our schools are about. It's an investment in our future that we can't ignore.