Reasons for Locating West Elk Close to Howard

[frawin]

In a recent discussion over the negative comments of West Elk being located close to Howard I learned the following:
1. it is the closest central point between the schools included in the district .
2. it is the only point that could provide ample Sewer and Water supplies, the school is tied to the Howard Sewer and Water system.
3. it is the only point  that has a Doctor close.
4. It is the only point  that has an Ambulance available.
As far as saying it is Howard West Elk, that term is only to describe where it is located, what do the negative sayers want to refer it to, " it is 70 Miles SE of Wichita or maybe it is 180 miles South of Kansas City".
I think the West Elk School board continues to do a great job. Another point is the Complaint by the negatives about the Superintendent setting with the School board, probably 90 % of the school board meetings are about topics that the Superintendent is involved in and he should be there with the board.

[Wilma]

Frank, thank you for saying something that has needed to be said for a long time.

[Ross]

In a recent discussion over the negative comments of West Elk being located close to Howard I learned the following:

1.   it is the closest central point between the schools included in the district.

That has no bearing on where a school is placed, come-on get real. Placement to other school buildings is just plain non-sense. Poppycock!

2.   it is the only point that could provide ample Sewer and Water supplies, the school is tied to the Howard Sewer and Water system

Sewer and water can be ran anywhere. Ever heard of lagoons?
There was no water or sewer on my property, but there is now. And electricity as well.

3.   it is the only point  that has a Doctor close.

Give me a break, there is medical care right next door to me in Moline.
Do doctors make school calls?
What if the doctor is sick or unavailable?
Yet more poppycock in my opinion!

4.   It is the only point that has an Ambulance available.

The ambulance is available through out the county, isn't it? It has sirens to get where it is needed, doesn't t? I have even seen it parked in Longton.  What if the Ambulance is on a run to Wichita or Bartlesville? What then? Poppycock in my opinion? Unless you have documentation that this was a requirement by some authority. Otherwise it is just opinion, just like my opinion. What if the kids are on a field trip, aboard a school bus, is an ambulance or doctor close at a hand? Oh my gosh.

Please show the documentation.

As far as saying it is Howard West Elk, that term is only to describe where it is located, what do the negative sayers want to refer it to, " it is 70 Miles SE of Wichita or maybe it is 180 miles South of Kansas City"

Negative sayers or nay sayers isn't that Elk Konnected dialog? If a person doesn't buy into the B.S. they are nay sayers or negative sayers.
What crap!

I am pretty positive the school board could do a much better job if they learned that the School Superintendent works for them instead of the other way around. If they learned that they could require frequent written reports on improvements in the class rooms on teaching all the children. Perhaps then the superintendent would require improvements on the part of the teachers to bring up the standards and he would be earning his six figure income and benefits. But I assume from what you have wrote that mediocrity is okay.

More poppycock in my opinion.
And I am entitled to my opinion just as you are.
And I call what you wrote, your opinion, because you show no documentation for any of what you have said.

It is not "Howard" West Elk. Try checking the Kansas State Department of Education who has it legally listed as West Elk USD 282. And you might even want to check their web site, it is: http://www.westelk.us/ not Howard West Elk.  The location is in the Mailing address. And that does not state it is located in Howard, Kansas because it is not in Howard. Just as our County Commissioner that lives in Elk County but has a Fredonia, Wilson County address, he does not live in Wilson County. I would never have dreamt of a Fredonia mailing address in Elk County, but that is the way the postal system works. I don't live in Moline, but I have a Moline address. And the rest of our school districts are extended into adjacent counties. See how that works. I know I had to learn this myself.

When does Howard move the sport signs the students earned, out by the school and let the kids take pride in the schools accomplishments?
Or are those signs just for promoting Howard.
Just like calling West Elk, Howard West Elk just for promoting Howard?
Isn't it all just political?
Remember when Howard wanted to move its city limits to encompass West Elk?
Wasn't that just for political reasons to promote Howard?

I think the West Elk School board continues to do a great job. Another point is the Complaint by the negatives about the Superintendent setting with the School board, probably 90 % of the school board meetings are about topics that the Superintendent is involved in and he should be there with the board.

I am glad you think they are doing a good job. But according to the state the school is only doing average. And the state has said the states educational standards are low and hat is backed up by the Federal Government with their Common-Core program. With standards so low wouldn't you think we could have a Blue Ribbon School?

And as far as the Superintendent sitting on the School Board, it doesn't matter one little bit if Joe Blow School Superintendent in Washington D. C sits on the School Board, he was not elected to do so, and it doesn't make it right. Haven't you ever heard that two wrongs do not make a right?

And just to mention and discuss the School Board is addressing the politics of it, because they are elected, so shouldn't this be in the political section?

I'm sorry; you probably didn't want a response.
But that is what this forum is all about isn't it, communicating.

[Ross]

Frank, thank you for saying something that has needed to be said for a long time.

Even if it is all wrong and poppycock!
Where is the documentation?

[Wilma]

Give us a break, Ross.  The present school was built in the early seventies.  At that time there was no doctor in Moline, nor was there indication of one moving there.

There was no water system available except for city water.  The rural water system didn't exist at that time either.

Howard was the most central point for the district which was comprised of Severy (12 miles to the north), Moline ( 8 miles to the south, Elk Falls ( 10 miles to the southeast) and part of Grenola, which was further than any of the others.  What could be more central than that?

How do you think that you who have not been a citizen of Elk County for very long, know better than the people who were on the school board at the time, what was best for the district? 

[frawin]

Great response Wilma, thanks.

[Ross]

Give us a break, Ross.  The present school was built in the early seventies.  At that time there was no doctor in Moline, nor was there indication of one moving there.

There was no water system available except for city water.  The rural water system didn't exist at that time either.

Howard was the most central point for the district which was comprised of Severy (12 miles to the north), Moline ( 8 miles to the south, Elk Falls ( 10 miles to the southeast) and part of Grenola, which was further than any of the others.  What could be more central than that?

How do you think that you who have not been a citizen of Elk County for very long, know better than the people who were on the school board at the time, what was best for the district? 

That centrally located has nothing to do with anything. But it does remind me of Elk Konnected's suggestion:

Unified Gov't (w/in the county) to save money and become more unified (do away with city gov't, councils­
(cont.) all centrally located-one managing body) (Big Ideas's)

Still it is just history and really has nothing to do with doctors and ambulances, now does it?
I suppose next you will want a hospital built next to the school, right?

Nor does any of that have to do with the name of the school, it is West Elk USD 282, not Howard West Elk.

Nor does it have anything to do with the politics of the School Superintendent sitting on the School Board does it?

The fact that it was brought up that other School Boards may have Superintendents sitting on them does not justify the compromise of the West Elk School Board by our  Superintendent doing the same thing, does it?
How do two wrongs make a right?

It is all about politics isn't it? Shouldn't this be in the Politics section?

I forgot to mention, that I was told that the original plan that was voted on, was to build the school at the rodeo grounds at highway 160 and 99. I was told that by a long time resident that voted on that issue. And we all know water and sewer (ie lagoons can be placed anywhere.

Just what is the School Board accomplishing that shows they are doing a great job?
Inquiring minds would like to know! A great response would be much appreciated.

Thank You for your opinion.

[Wilma]

The site by the rodeo grounds was too close to the rock quarry where a lot of blasting was being done.  Too bad you didn't live here at the time.  You could have seen first hand why the decision to build south of Howard was made.  I don't think any of us need to apologize to you for your lack of truthful information.  Just a little common sense should serve the purpose.

[Ross]

The site by the rodeo grounds was too close to the rock quarry where a lot of blasting was being done.  Too bad you didn't live here at the time.  You could have seen first hand why the decision to build south of Howard was made.  I don't think any of us need to apologize to you for your lack of truthful information.  Just a little common sense should serve the purpose.

What common sense if there in this thread?  

But I noticed you didn't tell me the person lied that the roedeo grounds was the original destination!

Where is all the information about how well the School Board is doing today. What are they accomplishing as fare as improving the educational standards at the school?

When does Howard place the sports signs at the school where they actually belong?

When does to rights make a right?

We seem to be missing what really matters and that is todays real facts, don't we?

Making excuses relted to the past does absolutly nothing for today or the future.

This discussion is reall going no where is it?

Where is the Blue Ribbon school with the standards so low?

Don't you think with some improvement in leadership and management skills at West Elk could make great strides?

Or is mediocre, good enough?

Heck, they can't even run a decent school board meeting.  They don't follow any form of roberts rules of order and it is suppose to be an open meeting where everyone in the room is allowed to know what they are doing and they hand out paper work to the board members and then n one reads the information they are discussing. The board has expressed their concern about citizens understanding technology, yet I don't think they understand how technology could be used at the school board meetings. And the technology is avilable. Isn't it time they moved into the twenty first century?

How stagnet can they remain, before waking up?

[Ross]

ROFLMAO