Thankfully, most of us aren't who we were in high school. Even freshman have changed in the short time they've been here.
Some of us had great experiences; some of us had the worst experiences of our lives. Yet we benefitted from our time in high school, whether we want to admit it or not.
For those of us who went to schools that actually cared about education and producing college-ready students, the benefits were even greater.
A perfect example of such an institution is Auburn High School.
According to U.S. News's Best High School ranking, AHS is the fourth best secondary institution in Alabama and is ranked 683rd out of 21,035 schools in 49 states. However, these numbers don't signify the true value of AHS or the impact it has on students.
One of AHS's best qualities is its diversity of education programs, which are classes that aren't just the standard core of history, English, math and science.
AHS has a substantial arts program that has produced many talented students, some of whom are on The Plainsman staff. For these students, the arts program was, and is, a crucial part of the AHS experience.
The program, which includes traditional art courses, theatre, music, mass media and communication classes, gives students that don't fit in with the standard core an opportunity to find other avenues of learning.
Unfortunately, the arts program, along with transportation and teacher salaries, is in danger of being severely underfunded, or even cut, in order to build a new high school.
On Tuesday, Sept. 24, Auburn residents will vote on a tax increase that will, among other improvements, fund construction of a new high school and save the programs and salaries in danger of being underfunded.
Enrollment for Auburn City Schools has grown exponentially during the past few years, and the facilities need this money to catch up and continue serving the city with the quality education that attracts so many students and families.
Yes, your rent may increase a little, but it's a few extra dollars that will go a long way in providing a great education and strengthening the Auburn family.
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