I appreciate the writings of author Jon Gordon. There have been a number of times in my life when I have needed a reminder of the power of positivity. I saw a message from Jon recently that caused me to reflect on the situations that USD 113 is facing. Here’s his message:

“What do fear and faith have in common? They both believe in a future that hasn’t happened yet. Fear believes in a negative future. Faith believes in a positive future. Be smart. Be prepared. Take action and believe in a positive future.”

The 22-23 school year for USD 113 has been an extremely challenging year. The decision and process of the closure of the Wetmore School has been excessively painful. My heart hurts for those who have lost their school. My heart also hurts for those who have been harmed by the emotional fallout of this situation. As our district pursues healing from the past, it is important to focus on a positive future.

Why have faith in the future? The strength of USD 113 is our people. We are resilient. We are dedicated. We believe in education as the pathway to our children’s future success. We are convicted to be engaged to influence this education to be the best we can offer! We know that by taking ownership we can continue to build a system for educational excellence.

In addition to support from our school communities, there are a number of other factors that contribute to the logic of having faith in the future of USD 113.

We are fortunate that our district is in a healthy financial position. The board did not make the closure decision under the duress of a financial crisis. If that were the case, there would need to be drastic measures taken for financial survival. We are not forced into taking desperate, knee-jerk reactions as a result of a financial shortfall. This mindset has allowed our district to not be forced to implement a reduction in force resulting in staff being dismissed from their positions. Nor has it resulted in us looking to an immediate future of neglecting vital services or cutting programs.

Having faith in the future means redefining our vision. Now is the time to be convicted to a positive future for USD 113. As always, it will take strong people with a commitment to supporting the future for our children. Our strength is our people. Now is the time to have faith in a positive future.

“Out of adversity comes opportunity.” -Benjamin Franklin