Could you live with yourself if you vote ‘no’ and something tragic happened at our schools?

To the Editor,

     In addition to all the excellent reasons to vote yes at the upcoming Sept. 11 facility’s bond vote, I think the most paramount issue we are faced with concerns the safety of our students. It is clear to see that our nearly 100-year-old school building, currently housing four grades (about a third of Monticello’s youth) does not meet minimum building safety codes set by 21^st century standards. Our facilities are subpar in intruder prevention, fire safety, wheelchair accessibility, and air quality (radiator heat with no air returns currently turns over zero air in the middle school classrooms). To put this quite bluntly, if an intruder attempted to do harm, if a fire were to break out, or a contagious disease spread (remember over 30 children died in the U.S. during last year’s flu epidemic according to the CDC), our facility is poorly designed to prevent calamity and many children (and teachers) could be harmed. Our current administration is doing the best that they can to prevent such tragedies, but there are facility limitations minimizing their efforts. This startling reality highlights major risks to our students and is a never-ending cause for concern among parents. Especially in today’s society where we see tragic events happening more frequently in schools where it is least expected.

     The good news is that current building design and technologies are available to us today that minimize the impact of such tragic events. Voting yes would provide a new, safer middle school equipped with: secure access controlled entry within view of administrators (plus additional electronic surveillance), automatic sprinkler systems, fire doors with electronic lockdown, efficient air recirculation (which provides a healthier environment and reduces teacher and student sick days), ADA accessibility throughout, and faster exiting options. Additional safety updates to the current high school are also included in this bond. The total cost of which is $22 million (with only $15 million coming from the local property taxes). Comparable estimates to retro fit the old school are significantly higher (and create difficulties of where to place the students during renovations). Thus, the current facility plan is clearly the best option for moving forward.

     Let us not wait any longer! Please, for the sake of the students, go and Vote Yes on Sept. 11 – be a part of giving our students a safe and healthy place to learn, develop and grow. While voting yes will cost each property owner a portion of their hard-earned dollars (and I realize that some may have to sacrifice more than others), I think investing in safety for our children is worth every penny. If we don’t do anything, the cost could be much greater; we do not want to see any child injured or lost.

Lisa Stadtmueller

Monticello mom and property owner

Monticello, Iowa