Purkey: Time not right to finance new high school

I think this is good advice from the County Mayor.....

I agree.

I agree too. With two students at East right now, there is a desperate need for a new highschool, but with the financial markets like they are, now is not the time to take that risk.

ok need to know ?
why does this town need a build a high school...for this town to have another abandond school building ...
what I see that this city does best is spending our money on use less things like turf for the football fields ..
that money could of goen into somthing more useful...
I thing they sould just go ahead and fix the school they want to let go ... they will spen alot less and that money can go towards somthing better ...

what problems does the high school have that a new high school needs built?

wat4 wrote:

ok need to know ?
why does this town need a build a high school...for this town to have another abandond school building ...
what I see that this city does best is spending our money on use less things like turf for the football fields ..
that money could of goen into somthing more useful...
I thing they sould just go ahead and fix the school they want to let go ... they will spen alot less and that money can go towards somthing better ...

goen? spen? Do you have ANY idea what it would take to bring the present buildings up to "code". There are more things involved than just "remodeling" what's there. Have you not been listening to the "whys"?

morristown mom wrote:

what problems does the high school have that a new high school needs built?

Have you not been reading and listening to the reasons? Remodeling always costs more than a new build. Well, almost always. Do you have any idea what it would cost to bring what's there up to "code"?

It has been a while since I have been to East but I remember reading an article in the tribune about builing a new high school. I do not recall the details of the article and the problems at the school. I was just asking so I can be more informed. My son will be entering into high school in the next 3-4 years so I want to know what is exactly the problems with the school.

morristown mom wrote:

It has been a while since I have been to East but I remember reading an article in the tribune about builing a new high school. I do not recall the details of the article and the problems at the school. I was just asking so I can be more informed. My son will be entering into high school in the next 3-4 years so I want to know what is exactly the problems with the school.

I just wish they would build ONE new massive high school.
But that won't fly due to football.
And that's a shame that Morristown can't have one school like many school systems do because of sports.
I thought schools were for education not sports. Oops, wrong again.

morristown mom wrote:

It has been a while since I have been to East but I remember reading an article in the tribune about builing a new high school. I do not recall the details of the article and the problems at the school. I was just asking so I can be more informed. My son will be entering into high school in the next 3-4 years so I want to know what is exactly the problems with the school.

Didn't mean to be so "smart" with my reply. The roof leaks, the walls have been wet so much they are crumbling, mold from the dampness, windows leak around them when it rains. According to the building codes and Fire Marshall (Someone correct me if I'm wrong.) if you update/remodel any part of an existing building, you have to bring the ENTIRE facility under that roof up to present building codes. For the East campus, the cost would be enormous. They can "patch" things up, but when the patch fails, then what? No one wants to have to pay more, but the question is do we pay now or pay MORE later. The work has to be done. I don't think there is any "danger" issues for the kids, just maintenance that costs more due to deterioration.

Yasher wrote:

<quoted text>
I just wish they would build ONE new massive high school.
But that won't fly due to football.
And that's a shame that Morristown can't have one school like many school systems do because of sports.
I thought schools were for education not sports. Oops, wrong again.

Yasher, I'm not sold that one large school would benefit the education of the kids as much as smaller schools containing less students.

I do not believe that we should resort to one massive school. I do not think that the students would benefit from that many students being in one huge school. It is hard enough to educate the thousand that are in one school as it is. When I went to East my senior class was around 300 kids so I can imagine if you add all the students 9-12 grades now. It is probably close to or more than a thousand.

This year's Junior class at East is at 435, and the Freshman class is around 420. This school is so to speak 'busting at the seams' with around 1500 students there. West, from what I have heard, isn't having it any easier student wise. Both of these schools are in desperate need of more room. The wise and prudent thing to do at East would be to build a new building there on campus and demolish the 1923 building. Build a replica of the 1923 building next to the new library and in front of the old building, and then connect it to the existing structures. Surely this would be much easier and cheaper than completely abandoning this campus. Excercise the option on the homes surrounding East that the School Board own. Use the land that these structures occupy to allow for growth on the campus.

Wow more students than I thought. I just can't imagine putting 3000 students in one huge high school. That would be asking for trouble. With all the problems at the school and the overcrowding, something is definitely going to have to be done soon.

NorthMoTown wrote:

<quoted text>
Yasher, I'm not sold that one large school would benefit the education of the kids as much as smaller schools containing less students.

It could. You wouldn't necessarily have to put all 4 grades under the one big roof. You might use the West High for 8 and 9th grades.
Other systems do it.

Yasher wrote:

<quoted text>
It could. You wouldn't necessarily have to put all 4 grades under the one big roof. You might use the West High for 8 and 9th grades.
Other systems do it.

Not a bad thought, but at the risk of the ire of several, what would that do to the sports program. I believe the schools first and MOST IMPORTANT job is to educate our children, but sports is an important part of that process. Notice I said PART, not the whole.

One big school is not the answer. We are already separating the 9th grade into the Freshman Academy. It's been proven that smaller schools provide better learning environments.

East and West High are both so overcrowded that it is difficult to move through the hallways between classes, and students are having a hard time getting to class on time. It's difficult to use the restrooms because of the number of students. Teachers are having to share rooms with other teachers during their planning periods.

As for building maintenance, there are leaky roofs and windows, moldy walls, broken air and heating units, and the list goes on and on. Something has to be done soon. It seems like there are more and more students with no place to put them.

NorthMoTown wrote:

<quoted text>
Not a bad thought, but at the risk of the ire of several, what would that do to the sports program. I believe the schools first and MOST IMPORTANT job is to educate our children, but sports is an important part of that process. Notice I said PART, not the whole.

Ah yeah, sports. I don't know.
One great team that represents Morristown comprised of 10th,11th, and 12th graders.
Move the 8th in with 9th, obviously 9th isn't ready for high school, so they are in the "freshman academy", put 8th with them as they aren't ready for high school either and many 8th graders don't need to be around 6th graders.

I'm sure someone could come up with a plan. Many schools across the US have done similar plans.
Even adding 5th grad to 6,and 7 might free up space for a long time in elementary schools.
There a lots of ways to go about it.
I suppose for sports, you could still allow 9-12 play in high school, let 6, 7, and 8th play middle school.

NorthMoTown wrote:

<quoted text>
Yasher, I'm not sold that one large school would benefit the education of the kids as much as smaller schools containing less students.

I would have to agree. As a taxpayer, I can't think of anything that could possibly be less educationally sound than one large high school in this county. If anything, there should be three or four. Look at the research on student achievement and high school size.(No, I am not a teacher, administrator or board member)

wat4 wrote:

ok need to know ?
why does this town need a build a high school...for this town to have another abandond school building ...
what I see that this city does best is spending our money on use less things like turf for the football fields ..
that money could of goen into somthing more useful...
I thing they sould just go ahead and fix the school they want to let go ... they will spen alot less and that money can go towards somthing better ...

You're in AK, what the f_k? you have no clue to the needs of this town or its school system! You make comment of spending "our money" ... whose money...AK's?
Go play with your little in bred friends... sooey pig!