The following is the fifth in a series of questions being presented about the upcoming DeLeon ISD bond issue that will be on the May 12 ballot. The response for the questions are be provided by Dr. Randy Mohundro, Superintendent of Schools for DISD.

Question - ”Why haven't any improvements to our football stadium and athletic facilities been included in the bond package?”

This bond issue does not contain any money for athletics.

Does this mean that the Board or the administration does not care about these programs and facilities? Certainly not.

The most recent construction project in the district was the completion of a new competition gym. It is time to seize upon the opportunity to make our classrooms the best that they can be so that students can be successful in the classroom, just as they have been successful on the athletic field and court.

This bond issue is about providing quality academic facilities for all of the students of DeLeon. This bond is about taking care of buildings where the wiring is inadequate and becoming a hazard. It is about providing classrooms, science labs, and libraries for learning that meet state standards and will prepare students to be productive, taxpaying members of this community or whatever community they might live in when they graduate from DeLeon.

This bond issue is about providing a learning environment that is safe for all students. It will provide the necessary alarm and other fire prevention devices, so as parents we will know that our children are safe when they go off to school everyday. It will update Perkins Middle School, bringing the building up to code with fire rated corridors, fire rated hallway doors, and an alarm system that will allow for a quick evacuation of the building if necessary.

It is about making our elementary building more secure by providing for one central entrance and securing the building with enclosed hallways so that parents do not have to worry about intruders entering the building. The bond issue is about giving our kindergarten and pre-kindergarten needed space to provide them with a strong foundation for their learning. It is about providing restrooms that meet handicapped accessibility standards and can be monitored and secured within a building, rather than making students go outside where supervision is more worrisome.

The bond issue is about providing learning environments that are properly heated and cooled with efficient and energy conscious devices. These devices wiil maximize every dollar available to the district so that they can be used for instruction and not wasted because of the inefficiency of poor equipment.
This bond issue is about providing students at the secondary level with opportunities to learn skills to make them productive members of the workforce. Even if they do not go to college, we will be providing them with quality vocational and technological training.

The bond issue is about maximizing every dollar available for the instruction of students, because the first duty of schools is to provide a quality education for every student in DeLeon.

Everyone is invited to a presentation on the bond issue wth a questions and answers session that will be held at the DeLeon High School Cafetorium on Thursday, April 26, beginning at 7:00 p.m.

There are additional questions that have been posed for answering in the short time before the May 12 election. If you have questions for Dr. Mohundro, you may contact his office at 893-5095.

If you wish to write a letter to the editor on the subject, we would welcome any responsible commentary, pro or con. The usual rules and reservations apply.