Jefferson City School District teachers gather to show approval of April bond and levy proposal

Today, a group of Jefferson City School District teachers gathered to publicly support the April bond and levy proposal.

The two issues would fund the building of a new elementary and high school.

Teachers today spoke out on how the money will also improve safety for students and provide needed transportation.

They also expresseda lotof concerns with the current conditions in the school system.

“Many of the current conditions are not conducive to a learning environment,” Jefferson City High School Spanish teacher Shane Williams told ABC 17 News.

Because of how old the building structures are, many teachers worry about building security.

“All of our doors are glass panels and wood. So if there was any sort of intruder and they wanted to get in, there’d be absolutely nothing to stop them,” physics teacher Lindsey Harris explains.

But teachers pointed out safety concerns starteven when a student leaves his or her home.

The Citizens for Excellence in Education group shared that some students who are outside the radius to ride the bus have to walk because a parent can’t drive them.

“She works 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. She can’t drive her child to school. She has no one else. She is a single mom. So her child’s only choice is to walk overthree miles to school every single day,” tri-chair of the group, Brenda Hatfield, said of one situation.

Teachers say they’re voting yes because it will solve these problems.

“I’m voting yes on the bond because I want our tradition of excellence in Jefferson City to continue,” Williams said.