Editor:

I am the general music teacher for Preble Shawnee schools, and I am writing this letter to urge all Preble Shawnee voters to vote ‘yes’ on Issue 18.

One of the most important attributes a teacher must have is a desire for his or her students to have the best opportunities to succeed. This is my passion for the students at Preble Shawnee, but I find myself extremely limited in my ability to carry it out due to the poor condition of our school buildings.

The lack of air conditioning is often downplayed as “no big deal,” but it is a serious issue. My room is the hottest room at Camden Primary School; it has reached 96 degrees and over 75 percent humidity multiple times. One student was even hospitalized due to the heat. To those who say, “A/C isn’t needed,” I would ask: Do you have it in your home? What about your car? Times change and standards change. Our students deserve better than what we are currently giving them.

But more than the lack of A/C, our buildings have outdated technology, classrooms that are much smaller than the state and national standard, broken windows, crumbling roofs and walls, worn out plumbing and wiring, and no security features such as auto locking mechanisms on all doors, separate office entry points for visitors, and indoor/outdoor cameras.

And to think, we can fix all these problems and give our students a state-of-the-art learning facility while still paying the lowest taxes in Preble County! An investment in our students at such little a cost is a win-win for our students and community. Please, vote Yes on Issue 18!

Cody McPherson

Camden