Retired Sheridan educators endorse school referendum

Letters to the Editor do not reflect the opinions of The Reporter, its publisher or its staff. You can submit your own Letter to the Editor by email to News@ReadTheReporter.com. Please include your phone number and city of residence. The Reporter will publish one letter per person per week.

Dear Editor:

Together, my husband and I served Sheridan Community Schools in many roles for more than 80 combined years. I taught high school business and technology, sponsored classes, student council, and cheerleading, and supported the Blackhawks for 41 years. My husband spent 39 years as an elementary and middle school teacher, administrator, and coach. After retiring, he also served as an evening supervisor and school board member. Saying we are dedicated to Sheridan Community Schools hardly captures what this district means to us.

We had never heard of Sheridan before working here, but it became one of the greatest discoveries of our lives. We continue to serve the school through volunteer work. I am president of the Sheridan Education Foundation, Inc., and my husband is also a very active member.

Over the years, we had opportunities to move to other school districts, but we chose to stay with SCS. Being part of Sheridan Community Schools is hard to describe. It is small enough for teachers to truly know their students and families, yet large enough to offer students meaningful opportunities and resources. We have seen this firsthand through our son and daughter, who graduated from Sheridan High School and went on to succeed in college and their careers. We are also proud that two of our grandchildren that lived outside our district chose to attend SCS because of the smaller class sizes, the chance to be with friends in class and at lunch, teachers who knew them personally, and the many opportunities the school provided.

During our years as part of the Sheridan Community Schools family – and we truly do consider it a family – we sometimes struggled to provide our classrooms with everything students needed to be prepared for life beyond school while also supporting our own family. We also knew teachers who, despite loving their experience at Sheridan, felt they had to leave for higher-paying positions or other schools that offered better salaries and benefits.

In recent years, past referendums have helped Sheridan Community Schools attract and retain qualified educators, and we do not want to lose that support. After living in the SCS district for more than 50 years, we know the difference this referendum will make for our students and educators. Many of today’s students are children and grandchildren of people we once taught, and some of our teachers are former students or children of former students, making this especially meaningful to us.

That is why we ask you to support the referendum when you vote on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Please do it for your children, grandchildren, neighbors, and all the young people in our community. Help keep Sheridan Community Schools one of Hamilton County’s best-kept secrets because our youth and our community deserve it.

Education is the foundation of a strong community, and your support will help Sheridan continue to thrive.

Randy & Sharon Brimberry
Retired SCS Educators