The youth of today will want to raise their families in a place that has high-speed access to the Internet and where the schools, libraries, community centers, city halls and homes will be connected. Some of us don't own a computer, yet our children are learning to read and do math with them. Our young people have no concept of a time without the Internet as a research tool, and they have friends all over the world, which, thankfully, are not reflected in our phone bills. A healthy community of tomorrow, regardless of size, will be connected. The fiber, conduits, and connections will all be in place to attract people to live there.
Children of tomorrow deserve a good education system, with good local schools.
Nothing will deter economic growth like a poor education system. However, schools, like police, fire, water and other services cost money to keep them competitive. We no longer just compete on a regional or state level, we compete with the world and our children must be able to do the same. They must have access to the same education opportunities that children outside Mississippi have. But for that to happen, our local governments must have the revenue and resources to succeed.