Four schools
Well, does anyone else see the REAL problem here with the four-school/two-school issue? It is the fact that we do not have people in there who are honest with us about anything.
All we have ever been told is we must consolidate to save money. Then when the DeJong firm came out in January and said "four schools is definitely possible and fiscally responsible" those on the board, including the embattled Board President said the $94 million price tag was actually going to be bigger. Now we hear $86 million. As well we hear that one two-school plan is $84 million and the other is over $100 million. So where is the big savings? They said at their last meeting we would see that $2 million savings over the next 20 years.
But where will we be in 20 years? We talk like there will be 100 people in our schools by then. The last thing I knew, we built an elementary center in Warren that is now too small. Great planning. How about when we closed Lander to get more students in Russell so we could get the grant dollars so we could renovate? Now over-populated as well. How about the Youngsville facility that is also too small for its population? We have a history of making short-sighted decisions in ALL OUR ATTENDANCE AREAS. Why, look deeper into it and it is an agenda from those who want to move towards consolidation. If they wait long enough and chip away, they will eventually get what they want. These decisions have put us in some very difficult spots.
The School Board President said the first DeJong report was built on an agenda by a corrupt report and one-sided steering committee, a committee that had members from ALL attendance areas. With all due respect, Mrs. President, there IS ALWAYS an agenda on BOTH SIDES. My agenda is that someone needs to BE HONEST and explain how a $2 million savings (when we are talking about nearly $100 million) is worth losing our local identities and strong local schools.
Respectfully,
Brian Sanders, Sugar Grove
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brianhagberg
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11-04-09 6:48 PM
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"I so wish the powers that be would stop with the secession talk, the continuous fanning of the "city"/"country" flames and misleading of people." That's page one of the Bauer playbook right there fivealive.
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brianhagberg
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11-04-09 6:45 PM
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You must have just moved here Master...
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fivealive
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11-04-09 6:15 PM
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See my earlier post about the continuing "city" vs. "country" mentality. Some are showing perfect examples of the phenomenon. The district will have no choice but to rename the mascots, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if they even opted to rename the schools entirely. This is just plain common sense and what generally happens. Give the admin some credit - once a decision is made, no one will want it to work more than the admin. As for splitting off into seperate districts, I would bet the farm that it won't happen. The state is in NO WAY going to allow it. And it is naive to think it would be any different in another district. Any district would have to take a hard look at a school requiring major renovations while having a significant decline in population. I so wish the powers that be would stop with the secession talk, the continuous fanning of the "city"/"country" flames and misleading of people.
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brianhagberg
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11-04-09 5:58 PM
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Good luck getting the state to go along with that plan tinasm, Rendell wants to consolidate districts within the state so I wouldn't expect that they would allow each region to become its own district. Also, it's not that the "city folk" think less of the "outlying" areas, nor do I believe that a new school would automatically pick up what WAHS left behind, but the fact is that the enrollment numbers DISTRICT WIDE show that there is not a NEED for four high schools. The combined enrollment for YHS, SAMHS, and EHS is only 300 students more than WAHS. When you take into account that each of those three schools has two more classes attending than WAHS does, it makes sense for the district to look at combining some schools. Personally I think we could go to one high school for the county and still be more than ok. Put it in the middle of the county if that's what it takes, take a vote on what to name it, what the mascot and colors should be, and move on.
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tinasm
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11-04-09 5:11 PM
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like i said before disban warren county school district and let each school be it's own entity or join with a sistrict that will treat each school as equals not like the little fish at the bottom ready to be swallowed up by the shark. if you truly think the "new" big school would not still be called warren dragons think again you "city" folk would never stand for losing the name of your school or mascot
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tinasm
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11-04-09 5:05 PM
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read the article under this one to see the comment regarding over crowding of the elementary complex. also i believe the only people that think consolidation and making 2 high schools is the best solution for the district are residents of warren not outlying areas beatty is the most ancient school in the district why not sed those kids to outlying areas why??? warren citizens would not want their children going to the smaller schools but those of us who live in the outlyning areas are to accept out children changing schools for the good of all??? please
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tinasm
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11-04-09 5:05 PM
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read the article under this one to see the comment regarding over crowding of the elementary complex. also i believe the only people that think consolidation and making 2 high schools is the best solution for the district are residents of warren not outlying areas beatty is the most ancient school in the district why not sed those kids to outlying areas why??? warren citizens would not want their children going to the smaller schools but those of us who live in the outlyning areas are to accept out children changing schools for the good of all??? please
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brianhagberg
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11-04-09 4:28 PM
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I'm curious as to what the definition of "overcrowding" is. The total enrollment for Russell Elementary is 295, with the largest single class at 53 (5th grade). Even if each class were split the biggest single classroom total would be 27, and somehow I doubt they would leave that many in a class. I just find it interesting that Mr. Sanders rants about the board not being "honest", yet has nothing to back any of his claims. Where I come from that's called hypocrisy.
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nmpet75
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11-04-09 4:06 PM
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one of my kids just graduated from waec last year and went on to beaty, my son the year before. Waec is not overcrowded. waec was originally suppose to eventually house the younger kids as the population declined and because the pop. hasn't, southside is still being used. I would never want to send a child to any other school in the county as waec is a wonderful school and provides more than the kids ever had at the small schools. It actually should be expanded. Overcrowding is just one of those scare words said by those who keep trying to use half truths to keep their schools.
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fivealive
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11-04-09 2:59 PM
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We can't justify it, brianhagberg. Nobody can. But many will try...
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fivealive
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11-04-09 2:57 PM
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cont... take a look at the facts and come up with a solution? We can't fix the problem (population decline and dwindling tax base) but we can come up with a good plan to deal with it -- IF people would work toward that goal together. The one thing DeJong is really going to learn at this meeting is that it has never seen an area so entrenched in the "old ways" as Warren County. They may be experts in education but I sure hope they are well-versed in sociology, too.
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brianhagberg
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11-04-09 2:55 PM
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How can we justify keeping schools open that are graduating less students than are leaving the district? Looking at the current enrollment numbers there are exactly FOUR classes in the ENTIRE district that will graduate more students at their respective high school than will graduate in June.
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fivealive
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11-04-09 2:51 PM
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So much of the underlying problem here is the age-old "big city Warren" vs. "poor country folks". 4 Schools folks convinced the consolidation is because the Warren "city" folks don't want their kids touched. The "city" people certain the outlying areas are populated by "hicks" who have never been out of the county. EHS vs WAHS. Been going on as long as I can remember. Tina, the "city" folks are giving in this, as well. IF consolidation happens, their kids' schools will be larger, too. Their kids will lose their school mascots, colors and identity so that a new one can be created. They will have to relearn where classes are in the bldgs as the rooms will all have to be reconfigured to the new needs. And they will have to deal with animosity from the new kids, blaming them because they had to switch schools. Can we all just get over the animosity? Get past the petty rivalries from yesteryear? Can we all just look a
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brianhagberg
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11-04-09 2:49 PM
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From all the factual information in this letter, the city students couldn't possibly go to the outlying schools as those elementary schools are now overcrowded also. Clearly the move is to build more schools, as well as reopening the ones that were closed. 50 kids to a building, that's the way to go. Why don't we go back to the one-room school houses we used to have, that was effective. According to the enrollment numbers, the largest single class currently in the district is the junior class at WAHS with a whopping 229 students. The net loss for the district from 2008 to 2009 was 79, that's more students than are currently enrolled in ANY single class at SAMHS.
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tinasm
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11-04-09 1:38 PM
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read the article under this one to see the comment regarding over crowding of the elementary complex. also i believe the only people that think consolidation and making 2 high schools is the best solution for the district are residents of warren not outlying areas beatty is the most ancient school in the district why not sed those kids to outlying areas why??? warren citizens would not want their children going to the smaller schools but those of us who live in the outlyning areas are to accept out children changing schools for the good of all??? please
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fivealive
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11-04-09 1:05 PM
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He does have the right to be heard. He (and the group) does not have the right to prevent a civil, productive discussion.
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samibigelow
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11-04-09 12:52 PM
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Fivealive, no lawyer likes to lose, I haven't met on yet who does. Him being a lawyer has nothing to do with this, he is a parent and deserves his voice to be heard. If the city school is declining so much, then close it and bus the kids from the city into the county schools. If the city elementary school is crowded, they can go into the high school that will be empty. The eastside kids can go to Sheffield, the south to Tidioute or Sheffield, the west to Youngsville and the northern part can go to Eisenhower. Solution, money saved and students in the city learning what the country life is like. Maybe Eisenhower can help them get their test levels up.
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fivealive
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11-04-09 10:49 AM
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Please answer my question first...Why should the district put $25 million into a school with the fasted declining student population? Money has to come into this equation. There is a limited amount of it. Finding the best way to use those resources to get the best eduation for ALL of the district kids ... that's what this is all about, isn't it?
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justobserving
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11-04-09 10:43 AM
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Money issue was brought up by the writer, not fivealive. Who said anywhere that the elementary complex would be overcrowded?
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tinasm
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11-04-09 10:26 AM
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may i ask you a question fivealive??? how many children do you have enrolled in a warren school ??? any in the outlying schools?? again money is brought into the equation wasn't it less than 20 years ago the allegheny valley elementary school was built??? couldn't some of the elementary students on te east side of warren be bussed to that facility rather than overcrowding the elementary complex located in warren??
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fivealive
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11-04-09 9:31 AM
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WHY would the taxpayers put $25 million into a school with a declining enrollment of nearly 25%?? That is financially irresponsible. Before the $25 million could be paid off, the school would be closed. There is a saying in the miliatary... "Taking the hard right over the easy wrong." It would be easy to say 'poor kids', listen to the 4 Schools yelling, just give up and stick with the status quo. (Wait. Didn't we already try that plan once??) The hard right is to consolidate, put up with the yelling and lawsuits (remember Bauer is a lawyer who doesn't like to lose) until they die down, and help the kids make a positive transition.
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justobserving
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11-04-09 8:48 AM
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Again your over-looking the costs of staffing and up keep of 4 compaired to 2. Would not that be savings??
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