Letters to the Editor: A Farewell to ESSD and a Call for LGBTQ+ Visibility
Excelsior Springs, Mo. – This week’s letters to the editor center on what it means to feel seen, supported, and part of something larger. One comes from longtime educator Alli Neumann, who reflects on nine years of service in the Excelsior Springs School District and bids a grateful farewell to the colleagues, students, and experiences that shaped her. The second, from new resident Kaylee Uland, urges Excelsior Springs to move beyond quiet support and take a more public stand for its LGBTQ+ residents, especially during Pride Month. Both letters highlight the impact of belonging and remind us that sustaining a strong, welcoming community takes both reflection and action.
A love letter to ESSD…
Dear ESSD,
This is something I never imagined I’d have to write…not because I didn’t know our time together would one day end, but because I never imagined just how hard it would be to let go.
Nine years ago, I moved to a brand new state with few familiar faces, no roots—just a suitcase full of nerves and hope. And then I found you. You weren’t just a teaching job in this new chapter of life. You became my home, my foundation, my family.
You took me in when I didn’t know a soul and gave me everything. You gave me a classroom to grow in, colleagues who became lifelong friends, students who would change the very core of who I am, and memories that will live in my heart forever. You didn’t just teach me how to be a better educator, you made me a better human. Thank you for believing in me, for challenging me, for giving me the space to stumble and the support to rise again.
As a teacher, you challenged and supported me. As a Student Council sponsor, you gave me the reins and let me run. And we ran. Together, we built something powerful. Something that I will never forget. The memories we made in homecomings, pep assemblies,and leadership lessons are ones I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.
To ESHS, thank you for trusting me, for growing with me, for being the kind of place where people don’t just work, but belong. It’s hard to leave. Honestly, it’s heartbreaking. But I go forward with gratitude for every moment, every lesson, every connection. You helped me become the educator, and the person, I was meant to be.
Leaving is not easy. It’s not supposed to be. But I take with me every lesson, every memory, every small moment that made up these beautiful nine years. I leave with a heart full of gratitude and a spirit ready for new beginnings, and this is all because of the foundation you gave me. This isn’t goodbye forever. It’s a “thank you”. It’s a “you’ll always be a part of me.” And it’s a promise to keep making you proud, wherever the next chapter leads.
And now, as I take this next step, I have one request for the community: Support your teachers. Encourage your students. Stand behind your administrators. Show up for your district. This place is special because of the people in it. Keep lifting them up. Keep fighting for what’s right. Keep making it a home for the next teacher who walks in not knowing anyone, but who’s about to find everything.
With all my love and endless gratitude,
Alli Neumann
Excelsior can do better than this– private support for LGBTQ+ people is not enough
When I moved to Excelsior Springs in June 2024, I read the op-ed “Excelsior’s got Pride?,” in which the author rightly pointed out that while there are allies in the community, there’s still a lack of widespread public acceptance of LGBTQ+ people. A week after that op-ed was published, I was appalled to see a letter in response entitled, “Excelsior’s got Pride? No, Thank God!” After that, I searched the towns’ social media in vain for a Pride Month event and waited for public backlash to the second letter. But as far as I could tell, it never came. Now, as Pride Month starts again, one year later, I wonder if we are ready to stand up for our loved ones? For our community?
Over the past year, I have been observing: watching for signs and moments of acceptance of LGBTQ+ people and all minorities in our town. And indeed, I have found it in many places – in signs scattered across neighbors’ lawns, in snippets of conversations in downtown shops, and in the enduring flag of the Slightly Off Broadway Theatre. Yet, as far as I can tell, there are still no town Pride events planned for this June and no mention of LGBTQ+ rights by the city itself or other well-known community institutions.
The latest data from February 2025 shows that nearly 10% of the U.S. population identifies as LGBTQ+. This means that millions of peoples’ basic human rights are still in jeopardy due to policies like prohibitions on healthcare and limitations to freedom of speech. Many, surely, live in and visit our town.
The effects of anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination are devastating. As criminal rates drop nationally, violent attacks against LGBTQ+ people continue to rise. Forty percent of LGBTQ+ youth have considered attempting suicide in the past year, and nearly 1 in 5 of those youth went on to make the attempt.
This June, it is time for a more public response from all of us who support LGBTQ+ youth and adults. The seed of caring is here in Excelsior – and we must help it blossom beyond closed doors and out into our streets.
As we welcome travelers and Waterfest attendees to our town this summer, I challenge the people of Excelsior Springs to show their support for LGBTQ+ rights in their purchases, in their posts, and mostly importantly, in their interactions. Our town is a beautiful place – but if our community continues to condone hate and suffering, we will lose out knowing so many beautiful humans– until we unite in our unwavering, public support of LGBTQ+ people.
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If you or someone you love is struggling or having thoughts of harming yourself, free help is available. Call or text 988 anytime.
Kaylee Uland, Excelsior Springs
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