Dear Editor,

Dozens of people attended last week’s Board of Education meeting in support of keeping art and R.O.T.C. in our schools.

One student asked, “Who will carry the flag at football games if the R.O.T.C. is disbanded?”

One speaker, representing the Arts Council, brought a petition signed by over 2,000 people to keep art in our schools.

One man from the audience asked if people of Appling County would give up one “out to eat” trip a year to keep art in our schools. This same man then asked if anyone on the board would make a motion to raise taxes by 1 mil (about $40 a year if you own a $100,000 home). The board replied with, “Sir, you are disturbing a Board of Education meeting, which is against the law, we can call the police, do you want the police called?”

I would suggest that the Board of Education has disturbed every child’s life by eliminating art from our schools.

With last week’s News-Banner telling us we may have tax increases of $200-300 for the recall of Homeowner Tax Relief Grant, it seems unlikely that we would want an additional $40 in taxes. So let us look at the whole community chipping in to support art in our schools and not leave it at the school board’s feet. It would be far better to get lots of people to cut back on some things and not have to eliminate anyone or any programs.

Other counties are having the same problems with their school budgets that we have. Some of their solutions are cutting a percentage of supplements for teachers. Teachers, administrators and board members and would take a slight pay cut (while the economy is down) so as to preserve other teachers’ jobs. This sort of “chipping in” happens in other industries all the time. School bus drivers have taken a $200-300 a year temporary cut. A neighboring county school board works 7:30 to 4:30 four days a week and closes on Friday, this cuts back on utilities. Thermostats are raised 1-2 degrees in the summer and lowered 1-2 in the winter, school lawns get mowed less often. Items cut by other counties include turning off computers on the weekends (a HUGE savings), and cuts of 5 days for 12-month contracts, 3 days for 10-month contracts (teachers) and 10 days for 11-month coach contracts. People in neighboring districts have pulled together and not eliminated any jobs.

Our board of education said at the last meeting that they would look at ways to avoid eliminating these programs. I hope they will look at what surrounding counties are doing. The board also said that they had offered all of the teachers other positions. If that is the case, then we are really only looking for money to cover art supplies.

This is where the students and community can come in. The students would hold fundraisers and the community, knowing that they would be preserving a valuable arts program, would need to support them.

What is it worth to you to never again receive a drawing or painting from your child, grandchild, niece or nephew they painted in school? No more drawings on Mothers Day, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Is it worth a dinner, a phone call? Appling County Board of Education members Janie Carter (366-9532), Minnie Barnes (367-9839), Joyce Tillman (367-4583), M.C. Barlow (367-7175), Superintendent Gene S. Herndon and Asst. Superintendent Rick Townsend (367-8600).

Raven Waters