May 30, 2020
I am grateful and excited for the no tax increase bond package being proposed by the Lee’s Summit R7 School District as a part of the June 2 election. The following projects all provide necessary, tangible benefits for the children of R7:
- Strengthening pre-kindergarten, early childhood education by repurposing existing space to create a second facility for our youngest learners.
- Remodeling Mason Elementary to make it safer and capable of serving four sections of students per grade level.
- Adding a fourth middle school to assist with growth and support the shift of 6th grade students to the middle school.
- Adding safety features to buildings throughout the district is a no-brainer.
There is one project, however, that grabs my heart like no other: The redesign, the infrastructure improvement, the modernization, and the facelift of Lee’s Summit High School.
From its inception in 1872, LSHS has been one of our community’s crown jewels. Its Hall of Fame boasts CEO’s of nationwide companies, Olympic medalists, inventors, and citizens that have created better lives for others, particularly within this community. As the school’s principal for 16 years, some of my favorite memories came from the bi-annual Golden Reunion, a gathering of classmates who graduated at least 50 years ago. Watching their school pride abound, all those years later, was priceless.
Possibly Lee’s Summit High School’s greatest accomplishment was giving birth to two additional high schools, Lee’s Summit North in 1995, and Lee’s Summit West in 2004. Each has gone on to become an outstanding high school in its own right.
As I contemplate the restoration and modernization of LSHS, located on its current site since 1952, I smile deeply thinking about the following:
- Parents taking comfort in knowing the facility has been made safer.
- Students, for the first time since five buildings were cobbled together, being able to walk an efficient, time effective, indoor path from one far reach of the campus to another.
- Teachers performing their daily magic with students in 25 new, modern classrooms set to replace 16 inadequate spaces.
- A centrally located, 21st century library media center serving as the hub of the school versus an overcrowded lobby.
- Student-athletes who choose softball or baseball being able to play a true home game, on their own field, for the first time in more than 30 years.
- All guidance counselors and administrators being able to work together daily, in close proximity, for the first time in approximately 50 years.
I could continue, but the point has become obvious. The time has come to support the restoration and modernization of a crown jewel that belongs to us all: Lee’s Summit High School.
Join me at the polls Tuesday, June 2, to vote yes for our children and schools.
Dr. John M. Faulkenberry
Principal, Lee’s Summit High School, 2003-2019
