School District “Passes the Buck”

As we strive for a community that runs on all cylinders, one of the bright spots is our award-winning public school system. Harry Truman was the only US President since 1897 to have never earned a college degree, yet was voted in the top 5 greatest US Presidents by educated historians in a recent C-SPAN poll. I believe that makes his Independence High School diploma one of the most important educational achievements in the nation. From Truman’s Sunday School experience across the street at the First Presbyterian Church to his public school time at the old Palmer building site, these experiences shaped his character. And with the Memorial Building across the street where the Truman Family voted, this block is especially important to this great American story. This story is important to not just the current 300 million US citizens, but future generations of US citizens. But is this story important to local citizens? What about the Independence School District who was actually responsible for the education of Harry Truman? The School District’s recent announcement to sell the Palmer School Building (which is contaminated with mold) essentially “Passes the Buck” to future owners of the property for its environmental cleaning, which makes one wonder if they appreciate and respect this story (their story). The Independence School District deserves support in the upcoming bond issue election so they can support excellence in local education. The Truman Neighborhood, and in particular, the old Palmer School Building, deserves local support from the School District so it can continue to educate the nation on the value of public school excellence while maintaining the story of one of the great world leaders. What else should we expect from the hometown of Harry Truman who coined the phrase, “The Buck Stops Here?”