'Mom-Guilt' is my reason why

To the Editor,

     My husband and I moved to Monticello in 2014 when I accepted a job, fresh out of school, at the Monticello Vet Clinic. We were excited and a little nervous as we moved to a community where we didn't know a single person. It was just the two of us then, and if it didn’t work out we could just pack up and move. It didn’t take long and we completely fell in love with the community and the people. We knew this is where we wanted to raise a family.

     Since we didn’t have kids when we moved here we never gave the school facilities a second thought. How bad could they be? Monticello is a great community; they must have excellent facilities.

     I was flattered and a little confused when I was asked to join the Facilities Committee in July of 2017 to help evaluate the schools and come up with a plan. Why would they want an out-of-towner that doesn’t even have school aged children? I thought I would take the tour of the schools and then thank them for asking me, but politely decline the invitation. After walking through the middle school for the first time I felt a rush of emotion, the most overwhelming was “Mom Guilt” that I didn’t do more research into the schools before deciding where we would live. The current middle school does not meet my standards for my daughters.

     Was I being a little hasty in my judgment of the middle school at that time? Maybe, but maybe not. I feel fortunate that we moved to Monticello before having kids. We had the chance to fall in love with one of the greatest small towns we’ve ever called home. If we had kids before moving here we would have done our homework and I’m not sure what we would have decided. With the many job opportunities available in Monticello it is important to be able to bring in young professionals with families. In order to do that we need to have facilities that draws those families in.

     We now have two beautiful daughters. My hope is that we will be able to send them to a school that Monticello and I can be proud of. We already have a great community with great teachers, faculty and an excellent superintendent. Now it’s time that our facilities reflect that. Dr. Jaeger, OPN, and the Facilities Committee have left no stone unturned. This is a fiscally responsible, comprehensive plan for the middle school that leaves great options for the future. The price is right and the time is now. Join me in Voting “Yes” on Sept. 11!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jayme Freye

Veterinarian

Monticello, Iowa