We have been successful before and I have confidence that we will be again. Today, education is changing. The world is changing too. Families are structured in a variety of ways now, including one and two parent homes, grandparents raising grandchildren and the increasing demand upon working parents. Our youngsters face a work environment with demands for a higher level of skill than ever before.
Competition is keen in a global market.
These changes support and underscore the need for Lakewood Schools, like other districts, to plan for the future. The educational needs of today require different support structures than they used to, from classroom space for more hands-on learning to electrical outlets for computers. We have done an excellent job taking care of our buildings over the years and as a community we can be proud of that fact. But the time has come, in part due to the timeline of the state facility program, to plan for the future of education in Lakewood, while we still have some choices. We believe it is our responsibility to begin the process of answering these questions now, because it is a long process and ultimately a very important decision.