To the editor:

While I have tremendous respect for my friend Steve Saunders’ analytical and financial data skills, I must disagree with him on the conclusions he reached and then shared in his letter printed this past Sunday, March 4th.

No, spending more money on schools does not guarantee greater success, but for me, not doing so at this point would be tantamount to shutting the door on any chance that Vicksburg has to fully capitalize on the positive momentum and renewed interest and investments in our city/county.

Everything seems to be in place right now for us to move up into the top tier of Mississippi cities for commercial and residential development and overall quality of life, except perhaps for the perception of our schools as a result of a “D” rating.

Having worked in the Vicksburg Warren School District for 26 years, 21 of those as an administrator, I take issue with how the Mississippi Department of Education has repeatedly changed assessments and assessment “cut scores” to determine grades, but that is the reality of our ever-changing state education monitoring, so quite frankly, now is not the time to whine about playing fair.

What it IS time for, however, is to spend some serious money for some serious and long overdue upgrades to our schools, upgrades that quite simply cannot be funded any other way than through a school bond issue.

Of the large school districts like VWSD with 10 or more schools, 4 of the 5 larger than ours who have been successful (“A” or “B” rating), Desoto, Tupelo, Madison County, and Rankin County, all have passed school bond issues in the last 5 years. So have Clinton, Oxford, Gulfport, Pass Christian, Pearl, Pearl River County, Neshoba County, Lowndes County, Lee County, Hancock County, Holly Springs, Columbia, plus numerous others. It is worth noting that VWSD has never even held a school bond issue election previously.

The cost to each of us now if the bond issue passes will be minimal, but in my opinion the cost to each of us in the future if it fails will be Vicksburg and Warren County’s best chance lost.

Please vote “YES” on March 27th.

Ray Hume

Vicksburg