Tonight I went to another meeting regarding the new high school. This is taking ALL of my time. The only reason that I can do this at all is because I really believe in the cause. Tonight I responded to some of the nay-sayers on the register news forum. Read my letter HERE.
Well, that is what has been going on this week. Meeting after meeting after meeting. Wow!
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Extremely Swamped!
Posted by Ryan and Amy at 7:09 PM
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9 comments:
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Yeah, I figure anyone who cares enough to read my blog knows how I feel anyway. We need a new school. Our kids deserve better.
I agree, but I don't think this is the correct time to pursue. With all of the major plants around the area shutting down, it does make it an economic burdon.
--edit--
Maybe in a few years when this area might see a boost from an interstate exchange and new hospital, it might pass a lot easier if we can get industry or just better paying jobs where people that are middle class do not constantly worry about whether they will be laid off and their company moving out of country. And I know the answer to that would be to get more education, but most people that do that cannot find a job in this area and end up moving to more populated places(usually out of the midwest)...but thats just IMHO
A new high school is a good way to attract business to the area. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard people tell me about business CEO's touring the area, and then leaving as soon as they see the high school. This opportunity may not be back for at least another 20 years. State funding does not come around often. My prediction is that if we do nothing, in a few years the state will tell us we have to do something about the buildings. Then, we will be spending the same amount of money to repair our existing buildings as what it would have cost to have an entirely new building. We can't let this pass us by. Look at the video I shot of the school at
www.mvthsonthemove.com
See for yourself.
It all looks cosmetic. If anything ws wrong with the high school the person that inpsects it would make them fix it in a short amount of time. That would come out of the Life, Health and Safety fund. So these major things are not major, just lack of maintenance.
School Board Member?
I realize that some of the pictures and video look cosmetic? Some of it is, and some of it is structural (i.e. Stairs falling apart, cracks in the floor, etc.) But cosmetic or not, Millions of dollars worth of maintenance is major! One could argue, “Why was it not taken care of along the way?” I don’t have the answer to that. My guess would be that when you are spending all your money and manpower dealing with the things that HAVE to be done (i.e. leaking roofs) for ELEVEN buildings, there is little time and money left to fix the things that are not immediate (falling tiles, cracking paint, updating light fixtures, sink fixtures, pipes, re-plastering, etc.). Some of the buildings are over 100 years old, and some of them have functional ages of 100+ years! How many people do you know who live in a house the is over 100 years old? You might know some, but my guess is that house has been completely remodeled several times. That is not the case with the buildings at the high school.
As I understand it, there is not enough money in the Health/Life/Safety fund to cover the cost of renovation. The state won’t pay for it. But the state WILL pay for new construction.
Your position sends state money down the road to Du Quoin, Carbondale, and all the other schools that are benefiting from the construction grant. We are talking about the state giving us 33 million dollars for a new high school. Yes, we will have to raise taxes to pay our share, but we will have to raise taxes to refurbish the current school. That would include demolishing some of the current buildings. In that time, students would have to be housed in portable classrooms. There would be a HUGE expense in that sort of renovation. It would take years to accomplish. Of course, asbestos still exists in these buildings. No doubt, that would become an issue. I don’t want my children going there during that type of demolition/renovation, breathing dust, mold, asbestos, etc.!
Regarding “school board member.” I’m proud to have served as a board member for almost five years at McClellan Grade School. I had to give up my seat as Board President when I recently moved into town. I miss being on the board.
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