Our Schools

Milton Jordan

November 19, 2023

One depression era building in our small

East Texas town housed all eleven grades

the state required for graduation on three 

red brick clad stories with steep steps to enter

and steeper stairways at each hallway’s end.

Our first postwar bond issue redesigned 

and retrofitted that building for the four

years high school now requires and installed ramps

at the entrance, elevators near each stairway,

elementary buildings beyond the stadium. 

We gave up, after ‘65, busing

half our students twelve miles to Lincoln High

in a neighboring district, but still approved 

a bond with, of course, a smaller margin, 

for four much needed new buildings.

Eight years ago a newly elected

school board restructured staff and teacher salaries

more in line with local living expenses

and strong school staff and parent support

has twice returned them to office.

Several attempts by special interest groups failed 

to create their own schools and their new effort 

depends on the Governor’s oft-defeated scheme, 

wrapped in reckless political threats, 

to tap a sizable slice of public funds.

Milton Jordan lives with Anne in Georgetown, Texas. He co-edited the first Texas Poetry Assignment anthology, Lone Star Poetry, Kallisto Gaia Press, 2022