School board president asks community to support May 5 bond

Hart’s Spitler Elementary students often have to work in hallways due to overcrowding..

Dear Editor:

On May 5, the Hart community will be asked to invest into Hart Public Schools. Tax dollars come from hard working citizens and should never be taken lightly. Before you ask for more money, it is imperative that you prove you have been good stewards of what you already have been given. Over the last several years, we have seen schools closing their doors due to poor financial decisions and situations. During this time, Hart became more efficient and more productive. We rolled up our sleeves and went to work.

Hart is now the educational leader in the area. We have one of the best elementary buildings in the state. Our middle school is performing at exceptional levels. This year, our high school has seen the highest ACT cut scores we have ever had. Hart’s technology is among the very best around and admired by schools in much more affluent communities.

We also take pride in taking care of what we have. Our grass is green; our buildings are maintained; and our busses run great. Running a great school, like any organization, is about having the right people on your bus. We have worked hard at putting the right people in the right places and have seen incredible results.

However, we have some issues that can’t be fixed with what we have. We have over 100 kids learning in the hallways of our elementary building because we are out of room. We have mechanical issues (water and heat) in the high school that are not cheap fixes. This high school has seen minimal reinvestment into it since it was built in 1962. Every successful business reinvests into its facilities or they fail. Letting a facility like our high school go for 53 years without investing into it is not a smart practice. It is time. This proposal is a sensible bond that fixes some major issues, creates a better learning environment for our kids and is a good investment worthy of your support.

Jeff Gebhart

Hart Public Schools Board of Education President

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