An electronic message board was installed at the entry of West Shamokin High School to honor students, announce special achievements, post school closings and more, including the date and temperature. Our community will be informed of all happenings at West Shamokin High School and of the pride we have in our students. Some have said taxpayer money was wasted. It took two years of hard work by a parents group to raise the money, and not a cent was taxpayer money. This project deserves only praise, not criticism. The projects created to raise the money were attended and worked on by many of the teachers and staff of West Shamokin. They, and many students, gave up their Saturdays to help. The faculty has supported every project that made this message board possible, not only with physical help but through their own donations of money. Our businesses also donated toward this project. We are very proud of our school and our students, and we wanted the message board to be able to display our pride, quickly and profoundly; it is now doing just that. The Armstrong School District does not provide such things. We had to do it on our own and we did. Help us set the record straight so comments will turn to compliments for this achievement, for the staff that is passionate about our students, for our businesses that constantly give when asked, and for parents and students who will go to such lengths to achieve a goal. Mary Koma The writer is fundraising chairperson for the message board. More Leader Times Letters to the Editor headlines