I want to say how disappointed I am with the recent decisions made by our county officials.  I am questioning why the health and safety of jail inmates takes priority over the health, safety and education of our children. 

Our local high school is the most outdated and deficient facility in the area, especially considering all the schools in our athletic district. I had hoped to see a new high school before I died, but I now know that is just a dream.  An even more glaring need is a new facility for our 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-year-old children.  A new Smithville Elementary School should have been built 20 years ago. 

If the present jail cannot be refurbished and added to, build a new elementary school first, and use the elementary school property to be converted to a jail-judicial center.  If you think that is not practical, look no further than the city of Lebanon which converted their old Lebanon High School into their City Jail. 

I had much rather be recognized as a county with outstanding school facilities as a county with a showplace jail-justice center.      

Mike Braswell,
Retired educator and coach