School Changes

[sixdogsmom]

I've had enough!  I can't sit back and listen to the negativity anymore.  Do you have a child or grandchild in the WE schools system?  Did you go through our local school system?  Do you even care about the education of the children in this community?  Or are you so selfish that all you can think about how this is going to effect you personally.  Someone paid for the school you went to.

   Mr PD, I wasn't going to respond to this, however I want to remind you that this is still the United States, and the constitution guarantees me the right of free speech. This is a public forum, and this thread was started two years ago, not dedicated to the new gradeschool supporters, as you are thinking. It was in fact started as a response to the changes made by Mr. Moore. If I seem to be negative, perhaps I am on this subject. I can see no sense in spending 8 million dollars on a building when we already have two brick and mortar buildings, especially with a shrinking population and a shrinking student body. These are not the conditions under which MY parents built a new school building; a new building got built when the student population outgrew the current facility. And usually not even then, but was added onto as an expansion. (The key word here is expansion). This is not personal, but an expression of common sense. We have no guarantees that the state will not close our district even with a 'new ' gradeschool, we have no guarantees that the state will pay the 29%, or that Fema will pick up the saferoom cost as projected. Think about it! This is pie in the sky!

 

[flintauqua]

Edie, at what point does the enrollment become low enough for it to make sense (to you) to combine the two grade schools into one?

Using your logic, there wouldn't be a school building in Elk County newer than one hundred years old; that's how long the population, and thusly enrollment, has been decreasing. 

If I own two cars that are 15 years old that each have 300,000 miles on them, I'm not going to put $3000 cash into each of them to get me through the next year or two.  I'm going to borrow $18,000 at low interest and get a new car!

[srkruzich]

Edie, at what point does the enrollment become low enough for it to make sense (to you) to combine the two grade schools into one?

Using your logic, there wouldn't be a school building in Elk County newer than one hundred years old; that's how long the population, and thusly enrollment, has been decreasing. 

If I own two cars that are 15 years old that each have 300,000 miles on them, I'm not going to put $3000 cash into each of them to get me through the next year or two.  I'm going to borrow $18,000 at low interest and get a new car!

Uhmm comparing cars to buildings is like apples to oranges.  I went to school in a 120 year old building in 2006.  Ga Military college building is 170 years old, and survived the burning of atlanta by sherman. 

[flintauqua]

Were the buildings you refer to redundant?

You know exactly the point I was making and it holds water:

At what point does the cost of repairs, renovations, extra utilities, extra staff, etc to maintain two redundant buildings become high enough to warrant construction on one new building? 

In my opinion, that time occurred at least 20 years ago in this situation.

[srkruzich]

Were the buildings you refer to redundant?

What do you mean?  no they weren't redundant.  They are very necessary.  They don't have enough room as it is for classes and are constantly building because of Enrollment increase. 

You know exactly the point I was making and it holds water:

Not really flint. 300k mile car, i have one.  STill drive it, will drive it another 10 -15 maybe even 20 years.  But cars are not buildings.  I remember the big push lately about refurbishing the elementary school in Howard.  Remember that?  Oh the great things that could be done with it.  What happened?  Why the change in thought process. Heck why not refurbish the building in howard. I think ole pep had it figured out a while back and wouldn't it cost less to do that? 

[pepelect]

Uhmm comparing cars to buildings is like apples to oranges.  I went to school in a 120 year old building in 2006.  Ga Military college building is 170 years old, and survived the burning of atlanta by sherman.  

Established in 1879 in Milledgeville, Georgia Military College (abbreviated as GMC) now includes a liberal arts junior college, a high school, and a middle school. GMC's focus is on a junior college military science program that culminates at the end of two years of study and training with contracted cadets being commissioned as officers in the U.S. Army. GMC is one of five military junior colleges that participates in the Army's Early Commissioning Program.

It (GMC)had a $34.8 million fiscal year in 2008.  

Maybe the building was abandoned by the previous owners and became a college in 1879.
So not only is your math a little sketchy but the simple fact that a tax funded institution like GMC that spends 10 times as much tax money as West Elk is funny.  You talk the talk about self-sufficiency and getting off the government tit  and the junior college you  reference is this huge tax entity...  I bet they spend more on maintenance than we do for the entire year of public funded education.  It uses Georgia state funds to educate out of state students.   Only 5% of the attendees are even from GA.  I guess if we trained the U.S. Army we could spend local tax dollars for out of state education.  To educate 100% KS students we can't use any tax money because of what?  Your prepencity to complain about the tax burden.

We don't and have not owned the old grade school building in Howard for twenty years.  For the school board to use it would be illegal.  Can we build a school on your property?  It would cost way more than $5.55million and would not accomplish the one campus goal.  The site is too small and it is multiple story.  The fire marshall hates two story schools for elementary.  A school a mile a way is just as wasteful as two eighteen  miles apart.
Topic Summary
Posted on: Today at 09:26:09 PM Posted by: srkruzich 
Insert Quote
Quote from: flintauqua on Today at 08:57:31 PM
Were the buildings you refer to redundant?

What do you mean?  no they weren't redundant.  They are very necessary.  They don't have enough room as it is for classes and are constantly building because of Enrollment increase. 

You know redundant.  Two buildings doing the exact same thing.  Twins..
 

[greatguns]

Good luck to all in your school district whatever the outcome of your election.  As for those of us in Piedmont that seem to be so worried about it, why?  It isn't our school district or our tax dollars.  I believe that West Elk will be getting 4 students added to your enrollment next week.

[srkruzich]

Maybe the building was abandoned by the previous owners and became a college in 1879.

Not abandoned, at all.  It was the Dahlonega Mint, where they minted gold coins for the US and the Confederacy. 
But the point is its around 170 years old.  Buildings do last a long long time and can be used far longer than 30 or 40 years and can be used quite effectively.  Maint costs on the buildings there are low.  They keep up their buildings. 
I still haven't figured out why any school district would put off maintenance of their existing buildings.  You take care of your assets otherwise you dont' have them and can't preform the jobs that their designed to do.

[Lookatmeknow!!]

Sixdogsmom, I think there are regulations regarding adding to the high school.  They have looked at that option and if I am right, it won't work, or cost more or something.  I could be wrong, but to have the school up to code, it won't work.  I think they have looked at all the options, and this is the only one that will work and make true sense.  Yes, our student body is shrinking, but there will always be children here to attend.  We are rural communities in this area.  I for one have three young ones, and know I will be here in Howard for the rest of my life, or at least to see them get through grade school, and high school.  I won't move unless, well, unless the hubby kicks me out.  And I am pretty sure that isn't going to happen.

My thing is that people are so stuck in there own ways, or what it used to be like that they don't get it.  I for one have attended grade school through high school in the West Elk district and so has my husband.  I went away for college, years ago, and made my own decision to settle here in Howard.  I own a daycare, which services the surrounding communities.  I have children that I care for from Severy, Moline, and Howard.  I have watched kids that are from other communities in Elk county and Greenwood county, too.  Times are tough on me, too.  I have to sets of bills, as I don't run the daycare out of my house.  I have a morage payment, a van payment, plus regular month to month bills to pay, which includes to sets.  My husband is also self employed.  So we don't have health care, at this moment.  But I have other types of insurances that I pay, which is a big chunk of change.  I am currently looking into selling Avon to help over come the losses that I am occuring.  So, if I can add a few bucks to for taxes to help my community, I for one am going to do it.  I know that you on  the other hand are living on Social Secruity.  I understand that is not much, but I do know that some people living on it make more money than I or my husband do. 

I just wish more people would have an open mind.

[pepelect]

I got caught up in the addition and forgot to add this post.

Not abandoned, at all.  It was the Dahlonega Mint, where they minted gold coins for the US and the Confederacy. 
But the point is its around 170 years old.  Buildings do last a long long time and can be used far longer than 30 or 40 years and can be used quite effectively.  Maint costs on the buildings there are low.  They keep up their buildings. 
I still haven't figured out why any school district would put off maintenance of their existing buildings.  You take care of your assets otherwise you dont' have them and can't preform the jobs that their designed to do.

try again.
Dahlonega Mint:  When the American Civil War broke out in 1861, the Dahlonega Mint was seized by the Confederates. It is believed that after the Confederates took over the mint in 1861, that some gold dollars and half eagles were minted under the authority of the Confederate States Government. The exact number of 1861 D Gold dollars produced is unknown, while approximately 1597 1861 D half eagles were struck. Because of their relatively low mintage, all Dahlonega-minted gold coins are rare. It is generally accepted that Gold coins estimated to exceed $6 million were minted here. The building that housed the Dahlonega Mint was destroyed by fire in 1878. It was never rebuilt and the mint ceased production permanently.

Your point is noted, but I can only assume that you aren't wrong just talk about the wrong building...  maybe you forgot.  The other point I would like to make is that this building was something built by tax dollars, closed by war, retooled for another purpose, closed by fire, retooled for a purpose of ashes.  But lets assume you are right.  The education that goes on in the existing building didn't start out to be its primary purpose.  Times change.  There used to be a school house every six miles.  The population density is different now. 

Instead of using our limited resources for maintenance we have been keeping two parallel programs going.  We didn't forgo the repairs because it was a better choice, we did it to appease the community.  They thought it was more important to educate the students. 

I can lone you these Encyclopedia Britanicas since I read them once I don't use them any more.