School’s Name
Isn’t the Problem

A few weeks ago when I read about the Bethel school board's idea to change the name of the elementary school in order to attract more students, I honestly thought the article was part of the Herald's April Fool's Day gag issue. Well I guess I was the fool.

As a former Bethel resident and a former employee of the Bethel school system, I am sad to see that although the faces of the school board change, the personal agenda of its members remains the same. The board seems to keep its inability to listen to and inform community members of the very things that the community is paying for.

How can changing the name of Bethel Elementary School bring in more students? I can see if the school had a name like "Miss Throttlebottom's Graded School for Wayward Snivelings" it would be a good idea to come up with a less ominous name, but the name "Bethel Elementary School" is not going to turn anyone away.

The powers that be need to look at the real problem of why young families with kids are not moving to Bethel. Are there adequate employment opportunities? Is the town attractive and inviting? Does Bethel have an atmosphere where people feel that they can have a voice in the community?

I think there are bigger fish to fry than changing the name of the school. The heart of the matter is to work with what you already have and try to make it better.

Bethel is a town with the very best kids in the world. Bethel is a town of good hard-working people who have little say in what happens. Decisions are made with a "plantation-owner" attitude by a very small handful of people who do not have the welfare of the rest of the community in mind.

It is essential to foster more community spirit, not come up with some asinine idea that just splits the town more than ever. And if all else fails, why not change the name of Bethel to—oh I don't know—Paris? London? Las Vegas? Disney World? After all, if you change the name, they will come.

Mindy Branstetter

Former Bethel resident