School Changes

[Sarah]

And this isn't the first time a community was divided over a bond issue.  There's been many in many communities and there will be many more.  Everyone will vote their conscience and move on.  And then what will we have to talk about on here?   

[pamsback]

Very rarely does someone with no ties come to our community start or run a business here.  You don't want your town to die?  Then take care of the students, take care of our own, prepare them for their future.  OUR FUTURE.

I been stayin out of this since we no longer live, (have lots of relatives, some with kids in school there) but Patriotdad has a point...specially the part I quoted.

[Sarah]

Very rarely does someone with no ties come to our community start or run a business here.  You don't want your town to die?  Then take care of the students, take care of our own, prepare them for their future.  OUR FUTURE.

I been stayin out of this since we no longer live, (have lots of relatives, some with kids in school there) but Patriotdad has a point...specially the part I quoted.

But what happens to Moline and Severy when the school closes down?  Then will those towns die?  I have not seen the school in Moline, but the one in Severy is very nice and probably brings something to the families that live there. 

[srkruzich]

A big major problem about businesses and jobs in the county is that there are no resources to support businesses.  First of all is water.  Second is if you suck everyones disposable income up in taxes, then they won't have the disposable income to support cooksons, toots, poplars, batsons and other companies.
Last of all if you do get industry here, where are you going to get the labor force on down the road if the schools keep declining in numbers.  All of those things are what a industry or business takes into acccount before they locate in a area.  
What happens to these local businesses when their owners get up in years and retires or dies.  And the reality of it is, most of the kids here will move off to wichita or other cities where opportunity lies.  They only start looking back to where they come from when they get older and miss the simpler life they lived in their hectic stress filled lives.

Personally i love the isolation. I was thinking last night, theres nothing open for 50 miles around here. Not even a 7/11.  But to kids that's anathema.  

[Wilma]

If you look at the businesses here in Howard, you will find that they are owned by kids that went to school here, went away for awhile, then returned here to make their living and raise their families.  And not all of them moved into their father's business.  As for the courthouse, the Unified District, how many of those employees left Elk County, then returned?  There is a reason that Elk Countians return to Elk County.  There is something here that you can't find anywhere else, that makes you want to raise your children here, that makes them want to come back.  Maybe it isn't the school, but I think the school has a lot to do with it.  We can't be sure that we can keep the school here, but we can give it a try and give our children a school home that they can be proud of. 

When you approach a town and see new construction, especially schools or churches, what impression do you have of that town?  Do you see it as a place to pass on by or do you see it as a place that is looking to the future?  A new school house may not bring new citizens, but it does present the town as a progressive place in which to raise your children.  New schools, new churches, progressive citizens.

[sixdogsmom]

And what 'town' might that be Wilma?

[Lookatmeknow!!]

Howard.  The Flinthills Assembly of God is working to build a new church right beside the high school.

[Jo McDonald]

We have thriving business along 99 highway and a nice business district and two banks on Wabash Avenue plus - the Elk County courthouse.

AND  the business are owned by "young people".  The majority is owned by the ones that grew up in Elk County - 
I firmly believe Howard-Elk County is up and running!!  Pessimism never won the battle -- Optimism and fortitude is
what wins.   

[Lookatmeknow!!]

So, true Jo!!!

[Wilma]

I forgot to mention the effect on the surrounding towns.  Many people are used to their kids being bussed to school.  They are not going to by-pass the rest of the county to settle in Howard.  They need only to look at Moline, Elk Falls, Grenola, Severy, to realize that this area is a good place and if their children can be bussed to a top notch school, they are not going to turn down these small towns as potential homes.

As to employment, my husband worked at Beech Aircraft in Wichita all the years that we lived in Severy.  We felt it was better for him to travel to work than to raise our kids where he was working.