Scoundrels seek to close six schools.

Ted Thompson, Betty Cornett, Phillip Bates, Vanessa Perry and Mike Mullins of the Wise County School Board voted in favor of closing six southwest Virgina high schools yesterday.  This is not a defeat for the proponents of saving communities and providing good education for our children.  This is just a more focused attack on reason by these five scoundrels.  The real fight is ahead.  The real fight begins when the Wise County Board of Supervisors is asked to build new schools for Wise, Coeburn and Big Stone Gap.  The real fight begins when the Wise County Board of Supervisors (four of whom are reaching the end of their terms) are asked to tax all the people of Wise County to build new high schools for three towns.  People not familiar with Wise county should be aware that with the rise in development along the four lane highways that Wise and Coeburn are basically the same town.  This will be two new high schools for the kids in Wise and Coeburn and one new high school for Big Stone Gap.  For those keeping score, those just happen to be the three home towns of the five mentioned school board members.  Zero high schools for the kids in St. Paul, Appalachia and Pound.  If all this does not may any sense to you dear reader it is because THIS DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE!

So.  Now begins a new fight in the defense of reason and education.  The next battle will be fought in the Wise County Board of Supervisors.  Unfortunately, this board has no public email address.  (Two less than the School board.)  Therefore, I will begin my personal efforts in saving schools by calling the Board of Supervisors as often as I can.  If you believe in community schools, school choice and school competition then I ask you to call them as well.  You don't have to be from Virginia to believe that schools are important.  Thanks for your help.  Their phone number is 276-328-2321.

Your best pal ever,

Shannon Smith

(p.s.  To any that take  offense at me calling these scoundrels "scoundrels" I'll make no apology.  I like to call a thing what a thing is.  A "scoundrel" is a mean, unprincipled rascal or rogue.  If you are a person that seeks to take schools away from children and destroy communities and wrap this treacherous idea in the name of "consolidation" when your real and obvious motivation is only to build new schools for your own home towns then you sir or madam are a scoundrel.)