Convince Me

[Wilma]

It was supposed to be the death of Severy when the high school was moved to Howard, but it wasn't.  The demise of Severy is the burnt out hardware and lumber yard.  The lack of a grocery store has added to it, but the spirit of the people that live in Severy is still there.  They have just built a new Senior Center.  There is still a place to get a meal, a little recreation, etc.

I can't see Moline folding up and blowing away either, just because the children go to school in another town.  They have several prospering businesses.  It isn't the school that makes the town.  It is the people that want to live there.  It is the churches, the community of the people. 

[sixdogsmom]

Indy, they already are being bused out of the county. I believe that Severy lies in Greenwood county doesn't it? Go have a look at Grenola sometime. They just eked out of losing their post office this year. It only takes a couple of devastating fires in these small towns to take a severe toll. I think the school went first, then the bank, then the restraunt. The townspeople had a cooperative restraunt for awhile, but that didn't last. It is going down and down. I don't want to see Moline go down that slippery slope. Right now we have a nice well-maintained town with a highway going through the town. There are thriving businesses that do not depend on the tax dollar so much. I have seen properties here go onto the county tax roles this year, and I don't want to see any more. Losing our school would be comparable to Howard losing the courthouse, and all the county services. If the folks in Howard want to keep a viable community, then it must remember that there are others in this county; not just people in Howard. Our tax dollars are important to the maintainence of all the schools, and the county services such as Sheriff, and EMS. If we are driven out of business as it were, then you will certainly suffer in the end. However, if consideration is given to ALL of us, then we maybe will survive.

[flo]

It was supposed to be the death of Severy when the high school was moved to Howard, but it wasn't....... 

No, Wilma, it wasn't to be the death of Severy because when the high school was closed, we had the Jr. High and elementary.  When they decided to move the Jr. High to North Elk, they bused elementary students to Severy and Moline.  See how many families with children move to a town with no school, no grocery, nothing but a fantastic senior center and a post office.  Oh, yeah, I forgot, the Co-op and a bank building.  This is still not to say that I am against consolidating the schools to one campus, however.

On the other hand, Severy could very well have been the center of a Unified District if it hadn't been for  . . . . . that's another story.

[pepelect]

 It only takes a couple of devastating fires in these small towns to take a severe toll. 

I believe we have had a rash of devastating fires in Howard recently and I don't see how the fire did anything to the town.  If anything it improved it.  Not to belittle the tragedy or the expense of physical injury of the situation but the aftermath of both big fires in Howard have been rather positive. The difference is that the aftermath was a renewed business  in one case and the removal of an blithed building in the other.

If you want to keep a town vibrant you can't let it wilt.  If a business fails, moves, or is forced out of business you replace it with another economic driver. You can't sit back and wonder why did this happen you have to react and keep it from happening again.   Moline lost the county funded nursing home.  At the time it was a severe blow to the area.  But the end result was an expansion of existing and a new business with as much or more economic impact and great added value services to the area.  It was not the intent of the closing of the rest home to kill a town but it was an economic driven one.  It was not working the way it was so it had to be changed.   

[Wilma]

I think I know what you mean, Flo.  A lot of people felt that way when I was going to school there many years before they had to close the high school.

[momof 2boys]

The school district is trying to do what is best for ALL students of USD 282.  If you were to look at the district as a whole, you would see that Howard is pretty close to being the center.  This is the reason for Howard being the site, not for any political reasons.  By being located in Howard no particular part of the district will have to be bussed for long periods of time.  Not to mention the money that could be saved by having everything in one central location.  One kitchen to service the entire district, one set of maitenance to take care of the buildings. 

If Moline, Severy, Elk Falls, Timbuktu were the center of the district, I would still think it is what is best for ALL students not just my section of the county.

[Tobina+1]

If you get out there and talk to the people who are promoting the "Vote Yes" campaign, you will see that they are from ALL areas of the USD 282 district.  It's not just Howard people promoting this project... It's parents, grandparents, teachers, and citizens from ALL communities within the district.

[Tobina+1]

Sorry for posting twice in a row, but forgot to add that I'm quite certain that re-purposing the buildings ARE also in the plan.  Although it's hard to advertise buildings available or start to make plans for their future when they are still used as schools.  I envision that Elk Konnected might have a hand in getting these buildings repurposed once they are available.  For example, even though the new Fitness center in Howard hasn't opened yet, we've had a lot of people ask about getting something started in Moline, too.  Maybe the Pickers and Fiddlers will want a larger space.  Maybe one of the churches would like to move into the school buildings.  Or maybe one of them will be used as a Youth Center.  I think the possibilities are endless and open a whole new avenue for both towns once you open your mind and start thinking creatively.

[Mom70x7]

sixdogsmom - thanks for starting this discussion.

I'm all for the centralized location and a new elementary building. My kids went to both Severy and Moline. Each building has distinct advantages. I've been attending school board meetings for several years and am well aware of the maintenance problems all the buildings have. We need something different. I'm a solid YES person.

We can't continue as we have been. I think that's a given.

What are your suggestions for the school district?

[Sherri]

We are going through a similar thing here in Greensburg, Mullinville and Haviland due to the tornado.  The tornado was devastating but there has been good come from it.  My husband works for the Mullinville school and could possibly lose his job next year when they join Greensburg but with that said, "It is the students education that is important"  They will have a better facility and the upkeep and the repairs will be minimal.  Yes Taxes will go up but that is inevitable with the way the world is now.  The upkeep and maintenance that my husband does in the old Mullinville school is crazy.  The costs to fix anything is very high because everything is obsolete and it is hard to get parts and then when he starts to fix something he finds something else and it goes on and on.  I hope that the community will vote yes and make it better for the kids.  I was the first class to become West Elk and I am so thankful that we came together.