Our Opinion: Ballot requests hold no guarantee of success

Making a decision with no assurance of success is difficult.

The Jefferson City Board of Education may be asked in the coming weeks to approve an April ballot issue to addressing overcrowding.

A proposal being evaluated by Superintendent Larry Linthacum would include financing to build a new high school, renovate the existing high school and operate both.

Since the April 2013 failure of a proposal that included construction and operation of a single, new high school, patrons have speculated about the timing and content of a subsequent proposal.

A dilemma for board members is any decision must be made amid questions that remain unknown - and perhaps unknowable. Those questions revolve around timing, costs and equality.

One question is whether an April election offers sufficient time to organize an effective educational campaign on the merits of the proposal.

Who knows? A more fundamental question may be: How much influence does an educational campaign have on voters? We are reminded of Dale Carnegie's quote: "Those convinced against their will are of the same opinion still."

For taxpayers, money is an object. Even voters who understand the merits of the proposal may reject increased taxation because they are on fixed incomes, under-employed and/or awash in debt.

Another issue centers on whether the existing high school, built in 1964, can be modernized to mirror the amenities offered by a new facility.

We believe both schools must be poised to provide an equivalent quality of education, but the age gap between the facilities is not the lone determining factor.

Although the district's two middle schools were built simultaneously, construction of the 11 elementary schools also spans decades.

A natural desire for any board member - elected, appointed or volunteer - is the assurance of having made the "right" decision.

A "right" decision on what to propose, however, may not be approved by voters. Board members can decide the issue to propose, but cannot guarantee the outcome.

The only assurance is that continuing inaction does nothing to advance the education of students.