In the 2014-2015 school year, a dramatic consolidation of the schools has been proposed. However, this decision is not to the best benefit of the school children or the communities as a whole. This petition is to persuade Holmes County Superintendent, Powell Rucker and his Board of Education to dispose of the proposed solution and solve the county's educational problems with compromises that voice the wants and needs of the community's people. Why Should You Sign This Petition? 1. Insufficient Space J.J. McClain High School is currently good enough to contain all of its students. However, bringing in three times that amount will ensure that the building will lack in some capacity. 2. Structure Liabilities J. J. McClain High School is one of the older schools in the district. It's architecture is in need of repair as is and more children mean more use which leads to faster aging and decay. You cannot expect an old rubber band to stretch as far as a new one. 3. Lengths of Bus Rides The distance to school will become unnecessarily long for some children. This is an unfair amount of driving to students and can cause buses to need more gas than usual increasing the amount spent instead of decreasing it. It will also decrease the amount of time children spend at home, making it less likely that they complete assigned homework. 4. Student to Teacher Ratio The amount of students will greatly outnumber the amount of teachers, resulting in less attention given to each pupil. Each child's individual needs will be pushed away and ignored possibly causing a decrease in test scores because children are unable to be properly assessed and taught. 5. De facto segregation and Tradition Possibly the least important reason, de facto segregation means segregation that is not legally enforced. The schools have been separated for an incredibly long time and the history of each individual school is as rich as the next one. Generations of families have attended each school only to become great people. The schools are apart because it's always been that way. However that doesn't mean we like each other any less because of where we attend school. If it is not broken, why fix it? 6. Loss of jobs It is impossible to think that every person in the school district can keep their jobs if this consolidation occurs. Wonderful teachers will be unemployed just because there was suddenly no room for them. The first come, first served, mentality could force out tons of loving teachers who care for the students and make the children enjoy learning.