And now we leave it to you, fellow Hematites to consider what's to be done. We encourage you to join hands with us to strengthen and enhance the Hematite experience, not simply for nostalgia's sake, but from a sense of responsibility to future Ishpeming alumni and gratitude for the opportunities we were once given.
Today's Hematites face obstacles most of us could not have imagined. Economic and social stressors can throw rocks in the path of the best student. The effects of schools of choice, charter schools state-mandated "best practices" and testing are also outside our control and provide small support to public education.
As alumni and friends of the Ishpeming Public Schools, one thing we can control is our level of supports and commitment to our alma mater. Though the halls are much less crowded than when we walked them (the past decade has seen entire district go from 900 to 800 students, compared to the 1,000 who once occupied the high school alone), each student deserves the best chance to succeed. We have one chance each year to educate our students -- and do it well.
We don't have all the answers to public school funding, but we can help our school.