Letters: District 5 incumbents helped keep schools great

The Lexington-Richland District 5 schools are among the best in the state, and that enriches all of us, preparing students for the workforce rather than the welfare rolls. That means they’ll be contributing to Social Security. If you’re in my age bracket, that should sound pretty good.

A strong district also makes our homes more valuable. Every local real estate ad contains the phrase “award-winning schools,” because that makes people want to buy our homes, and enhances our biggest investment.

Great school districts don’t just happen; it takes leadership. Two school board incumbents, Beth Burn Hutchinson and Robert Gantt, have shown that leadership for years, protecting the district from people who want to impede it. They serve us well.

There is a third school board seat open. Candidate Barbara Waldman is a long-time District 5 supporter who earned the Superintendent’s Volunteer Service Award in 2015. We need all three of them on the school board.