School Changes

[frawin]

It is tough for me when I go home and see the decline in the houses that are empty, the old grade school that I attened for 8 years in total ruin, the old Howard National Bank Building in such bad care. If the economy in this country continues to deteriorate, living in the Rural areas will be better than in the cities. People in the rural areas will have Gardens, Chickens for eggs, milk cow and less crime to deal with.
Frank

[DolphinsLEM]

Oh I hope everything goes okay, but I know there will be some heated disscussions going on.  I really hope someone posts some info on here tonight.  Me being a teacher really wishes I could have been there, but I am in NY visiting family.  So it has been killing me not knowing what is going on. 

[Wilma]

It is 9:30 and I am wondering if the meeting is still in progress.  I really hope someone shares with us tonight and I hope some good comes out of the meeting.

[Chelle]

Hi Laura, I did not go to the meeting tonight, Ron went so hopefully he will give me the full rundown before I have to leave for the Jim Fay workshop in the a.m..  I hope that it is a productive meeting.  Nichelle

[sixdogsmom]

I got home about an hour ago, the meeting went well with the board members remaining united but willing to listen also. It must be disheartening to try to keep this thing going with a shrinking enrollment and tax base also. I do think however that the essential decision will remain with some modifications. For the most part, people remained respectful and to the point. It seemed as though it was the Severy folks who were the most upset IMO. Our Angie made a very good showing for herself, making some good points. It looks like Rudy will be having a write-up; I saw pictures being taken.

[pepelect]

More people from the rest the world should be showing more interest in our school situation.  We have been losing enrollment for 12 of 15 years.  I am from Howard and have been in favor of eliminating the 4 campus system  for about 21 years.  The stupidest thing, besides why we had the National Guard build a football field, I can remember is graduating from West Elk High School and having to choose between Moline or Howard alumni.  We have been West Elk since someone got half a clue in the early seventies and consolidated the Grenola, Severy, Moline, Elk Falls, and Howard Schools.  They didn't do it because it would be better for the towns they did it to keep a viable school system functioning.  I think that the selfish bickering about not losing my school has to be changed to how can we make our school system better.  It has been long enough.  All the kids in the district are within 25 miles of Howard.  Who has ever taken there kids for a 25 mile trip to McDonalds or the dreaded "w" store.  There should be one school.  One building and one set of problems.  Half the bus diesel would fund alot of teacher raises. 
Yes, Severy will feel alienated and move to the path of  the tornado.  But look what happened to Greensburg when they brought in a tornado.  Moline will threaten to go to Lion or Bluedevil land but they will come back.   
West Elk schools has some of the best teachers in the state.  I think that being in the top 5% of any thing is worth bragging about and Severy's school was last year.   

[L Hendricks]

PEP I agree with ya - I was a little discouraged that the auditorium was not packed.  For the most part, people contained their emotion.  Bert tried to smooth us over with a 30 min presentation on the whys and the numbers, which everyone got in a packet.  However, I didn't see any numbers on transportation cost, building cost, additional adm staff.  He gave what the cost savings would be to go to a 4 day week - 50K which is comprised of staff salary and transp.  Marty kept hounding on energy costs and how that is hurting our enrollment - the question there that wasn't asked is how much would be saved in a one campus school instead of shuttling kids between all the schools.  Gina W. made the suggestion about moving the 6th grade to Howard - the board was relatively favorable to that idea.  My question - or one of them... was would or could this decision be reversed before Aug 20 2008 when school starts... Roxanne Walker was the only one who spoke up saying she would like to revisit it next Monday (next board meeting)- I really think we need people at the board meetings. The question was asked about why we waited til June to make a decision - did not get a good answer on that one.  Nor why we don't have a long term plan - except that the board is trying very hard to keep the elem. schools open.  What is always hard to guage at a public meeting - is how does the quiet majority think or vote.  I didn't realize that a bond issue has to be approved by the state first before we can even vote on it. 

The board and Bert really kept bragging on the quality of education our students are getting - however we can't afford to give them raises... another question that remains unasked is why did Bert get a  6.5% raise, Mike McLean and Deb Stange a 4% and other numerous other - some quite large in the district office building... but our teachers are still trying to get $1000 on the base....We used to be the middle of the pay scale - now we are near the bottom. 

Another interesting question or comment - is that this pilot is being proposed that no kid will be picked up earlier....or that is what I thought I heard.  Steve Walker questioned that thought process.  They really don't know what the transportation cost will be with the pilot plan and probably won't know til it starts.

One comment was made about how much money we have spent on the elem schools and how nice they are now.... my own comment (kept silent) is move on... sometimes we remodel a house and remodel a house and by the end we would have been better off to build a new one.... Just move on... money already spent.

It is too bad our fathers when consolidating and building a school couldn't have picked a spot out in the middle of a pasture so no town would be associated with this issue...

[Lookatmeknow!!]

Pep couldn't have said it better myself.  I am not trying to step on any toes, but come on it's are school.  You are so right about building the one building.  I am from Severy.  I went to school at Severy all my life and graduated from West Elk.  I don't want to see either town lose it's school.  But, being a rancher and farmers wife, you can't predict the future.  You have to be flexible.  If we want to save our school system, we must FIX  the problem not BAND AID it.  I just have this feeling that we are not going to get a great deal of inclining enrollment in the next five years.  Not that our communities are terrible, it's because the fuel cost is costing each and every family around the world.  Why would you want to spend $500.00 to $1000.00 on fuel if you didn't have to to get to your job.  I personally would never leave this community.  I love it, but I have ties to it.  Something to keep me here.  My job is in childcare.  I am worried, too.  When we have a declining enrollement it effects everyone.

Pep you made a good point about Emily's class.  I have heard a couple of kids from that class that are excited about this.  I would be too.  Having 5 to 7 kids and going up to 16!!

There was lots of good suggestions out there last night.  Some of them are:  move 6th grade to West Elk making it a middle school with 6, 7, and 8.  You would get rid of 2 of the positions and could keep both schools.  This is a very good idea, much better then the one that the board has voted on.  But that is only masking the problem.

I commend each and every person that attended the meeting last night.  You made it know that you are there for this school, for the children, and the communities.  There was a lot of good ideas put forth to the board, but the ball is now in there court.  We now have to sit and wait to see what the decision will be.

[Diane Amberg]

It sounds like you all did very well last night with a very hot button topic. The bottom line is good education for all your children. I know you want to know more and the board heard some good ideas from you.  When does the board have to make their final decision? I know school time isn't really that far off, if they have to move furniture and libraries etc. and make up new bus routes. There is a lot more to do than just move the kids. When our system was redone, some of our buildings even had to retrofit the bathrooms and water fountains because they were the wrong size for the age of the kids moving in! I thought the portable classroom idea was a good one also. I worked in one for a number of years and it was fine. At the time it was the only room that had air conditioning! For a time we had a hub system for transportation. The buses picked up kids, went to a "hub" in a parking lot, some of the kids changed busses and went on to their intended schools. It sounded weird, but worked rather well and supposedly saved fuel. Hang in there friends!

[pam]

That's the way the bus system is here. there are several grade schools but only one high school, the grade school in rocky which is mine goes to 8th grade and then they go to anderson for 9th on up. there are grade schools in white rock, anderson, pineville, southwest city, and jane i think. Then they have middle school and high school at Anderson. I think rocky is the only one that goes to 8 the others go to six and then go to the middle school. We are bout 18 miles east of Anderson tho and the school district goes another 15 miles or so east so it's a huge district.