As a faithful reader of the Free Press, I am accustomed to Bryce Bales’ rants in which he denigrates the Hays CISD for transgressions of all sorts. For those who have failed to read Mr. Bales’ letters, allow me to summarize for you. Hays CISD does nothing right and everything wrong.
Having been a former trustee for the district, I learned early on in the job there would be citizens who wouldn’t attend any board meetings, would refuse to serve on district committees, but would still have time to publicly criticize the board and district administration. As a result, it’s easy to ignore the rants of those who can twist data and use uniformed suppositions to disparage the district.
In Mr. Bales’ March 7, 2012 letter he ridicules the district’s “new health center” by questioning if it will “improve academics”. The answer to that question is “Yes”!! There is a wide base of empirical research that shows healthy children learn better. In addition, research on school-based health centers reveals that children who use these centers attend school at a higher rate (i.e. more money for the district). However, what is particularly alarming is his pejorative comment that the health center “will attract more poor students.” My answer is “I certainly hope so!!” All children are constitutionally guaranteed a free public education. It’s relatively easy and economical to educate students from middle-class families in which one or both parents are college educated. Unfortunately, not all students are blessed with such circumstances. Children from low SES backgrounds generally need more assistance in school and we have a legal, moral, and ethical responsibility to provide for all children, not just those who are “easy” to educate. It’s the literal definition of “public” education.
Not everyone lives in a wealthier section of the district, in a $500,000 home, and with college-educated parents. The Hays CISD Board should be commended for planning and implementing innovative health and academic programs that attempt to meet the needs of our fast-growing, ethnically and economically diverse student population. While I might not agree with every decision made, I refuse to sit on the sidelines and criticize the decisions of well-informed and hard-working school board trustees.
David Wiley
Mountain City
