Your Letters for Feb. 14, 2025
Here is their chance
MWSU is in deep trouble. Here’s the MDHEWD five-year enrollment trend:
Headcount decline -31.2%;
FTE decline — 35.8%;
Full-time student decline — 38.2%.
MWSU President Elizabeth Kennedy has no answers, yet the Board extended her contract with hefty increases in salary and benefits.
Our only hope lies in a new Board and new president.
The Board’s bylaws state that no more than four of the seven members may be of the same political party. In 1977, Governor Joseph Teasdale appointed Western’s inaugural Board — three Democrats and three Republicans.
At present, all six BOG members, appointed by Mike Parson, are Republican or claim “Independent” status to circumvent the spirit of the bylaws. Legislators must honor the spirit of the bylaws and appoint three Democrats to the Board for political balance.
One Board seat was vacated by a resignation last June. The terms of two more governors expired last November. Two more terms will expire this March.
I have written Governor Mike Kehoe and regional legislators that they must cease gaming the system with “Independent” appointees and honor the intent of the bylaws.
Legislators are elected to serve all their constituents, not merely their largest donors. Here is their chance.
Bill Church
St. Joseph
Enough is enough
I am amazed at the leaders of our school system in St. Joseph. They seem to lack the intelligence to understand that walls and buildings do not educate our children, teachers do.
Here we are again where our educators are asking the people to approve a $150 million plus bond to build a new school. This is only the beginning because they will be back later to ask for more money to build another school to be announced.
What clearly is not conveyed is what they will do with the schools that exist. Superintendent Edgar has said they will become a middle school. Help me understand how the schools are good enough to educate our middle school children but not good enough for our high school students?
If the educators get their way, you can rest assured they will be back to the public to update the middle schools/high schools, which they claim are in such bad shape. LaTonya Williams, the Board President, on the Barry Birr morning show, said she could not assure this would not happen. I wonder how much improvement could be done to our schools with $150 million plus?
Let me try to educate the educators. The people of St. Joseph have said no to your last bond request. While you and the teachers would like new buildings, try to remember, walls do not educate.
Finally, the old tactic is, if you approve this bond, it will only increase your taxes a few dollars, another cup of coffee example. I suggest the people of St. Joseph look at their last personal property tax and see where the chunk of the money goes.
I recommend the educators get back to educating our children and listen to the taxpayers.
Richard Sharp
St. Joseph
