To the editor:

I am a dedicated educator in USD 497, and education is of the utmost importance for my children and myself. I encourage you to educate yourself in any area including the issues separating our community. It’s very easy to be swayed by inaccurate information that speaks to the heart. Education helps us strike a balance between our heart and mind.

I was bothered by an ad in the Journal-World that had misinformation attempting to touch your heart. The ad stated that the bond money would be used “to close schools and abandon teachers.” A bond cannot close schools. The plan is to build up two nearby schools. I teach in a small school and I feel supported by a bond that will offer more and better opportunities to achieve our life goals of education.

The ad also states “$0 for teacher salaries … Teaching jobs lost.” My education has taught me that my salary cannot be paid with bond money. If there is loss of teaching jobs, this would be a result of the state budget problems, not the passage of the bond. The money now being used to maintain old buildings could be freed up to help save programs, activities and resources.

Please educate yourself, question all viewpoints, find accurate information and find a balance between your heart and mind. If you support the bond, you are supporting putting money into the schools legally and helping to save the programs that our children thrive on.

Julia Rose-Weston,

Lawrence