Letter: Support schools and Wollschlager

To the Editor:

As the back-to-school sales gear up and parents look over school supply lists, it is time to look at the larger picture of supplying our schools with the infrastructure they need to continue to build a knowledgeable citizenry.

A community is judged on each of its members, and well-educated citizens ensure the future of Red Wing.

It is a fact that some members of our community both young and old are not doing well in the current economic downturn. I spoke with an elementary principal who explained that for the first time in the 30 years I have been teaching, we will have over a third of our students at the school she administrates eligible for free and reduced-cost hot lunches.

These children need more programs, not fewer, and our schools are trying to keep up. I hope we have a brave, self-sacrificing community willing to say yes to the future.

It also should be said that the urgency of the need for equitable state funding for all communities must be addressed soon. Just as an educated community is a vibrant community, so it will be for a knowledgeable population to create a vibrant state.

I appreciate the effort Tim Kelly has put on the Red Wing School Board, but I strongly believe that we will need the continued leadership and most importantly the experience of Sandy Wollschlager as our state representative. Put bluntly, she knows the ropes of the business and has voted consistently to fund our schools at an acceptable level. She has worked to assist our community to become a beacon of the future through education.

Ultimately, as we wind our way toward fall, we must discuss with our neighbors and friends what we want our community to look like, what is our vision for the future. Strip away the frills and check the facts. An informed vote is our right.

Debra Gerads-Brodie

Red Wing

Tags: opinion, letter, red, wing, school, referendum, sandy, wollschlager, debra, gerads, brodie