Letter to the Editor

By Victoria Billingsly

I have a voice and I need to be heard. I am one of many at Memphis Academy of

Science and Engineering. I have been at MASE for five school years and I want to
finish my twelfth grade year, but the school board is making it financially hard for my
school. Why must we, as students, get punished because of the financial bind of
elected officials?

MASE is a historic charter school that represents the City of Memphis in a positive
light, but people would rather take that away. The school board is withholding
money from MASE, but overlooks the fact that our test scores are higher than
Memphis City Schools.  We have extended school days and an excellent teacher to
student ratio. The graduation rate last year was 100%. MASE is so much more than a
school. We are a family that has survived seven years without proper funding. We
don’t plan on giving up now.