A vote against the school bond
Dear Editor,
It does not make sense to keep the elementary and junior-senior high schools split up.
The alumni of both Culbertson and Trenton attended a K-12 school. Why was that format ever changed? Those for the bond say, "Why change what's working?" It was working fine before the K-12 was divided.
Keeping the schools together allows more unity for school spirit, gives junior high and high school kids the chance to work with elementary kids, and gives the elementary kids older kids to look up to.
It allows sharing of resources, would be more beneficial in the long run environmentally and economically to heat/cool one facility, allows for one cafeteria, computer lab, library, etc., and saves on maintenance, janitorial, and cafeteria staff.
It makes sense to have one facility and have the kids being bussed to and from one facility. This way, they're not going from one school to another for class, practice, etc. The price of fuel isn't going to get any lower anytime soon. One location means bussing less and kids driving less. This would save both the school district and the parents.
With the elementary in one town and the junior-senior high school in another, it still does not end up fair in the end.
If all the extra curricular activities are held in one town, then that town is the only one benefiting from those events. The other community is left behind with the businesses not receiving any of the profit from out-of-town patrons as well as the local patrons attending those events. Supporters of the bond talk and talk about keeping it fair ... is it really fair how it's set up now?
There is no reason why the costs could not be brought closer together ... let's be thrifty people.
Sell the unused location and facility, or both if a whole new facility is built in between. Sell the old lockers and desks and take bids for salvagers to take out copper, iron, whatever else can be sold.
Sell the building brick by brick to alumni -- who wouldn't want a small piece of the history of our schools? If the current designers can't come up with a plan that is a similar cost for one facility rather than two, then maybe the school board should be doing some shopping around for a different design firm, one that can work with the needs and voices of the communities.
I will no longer be accused of not caring about having a school in Hitchcock County, be accused of not wanting what's best for the future of Hitchcock County, and not caring about the kids.
I simply have the opinion that what is best for Hitchcock County and our children and our school is to not spend a ridiculous amount of money on two school locations. We have to make a long-term decision for what's best for our school. It doesn't matter what the class numbers are this year, we cannot anticipate what the class numbers are going to be in five or 10-plus years. Let's build one facility that will stand the test of time.
Kristyn Clapp
Parent,
Culbertson, Nebraska