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The Irony Of It All
Brad Hollerbach

Suggested Cost-Savings To School District's 'Master Plan'

Posted Thursday, December 10, 2009, at 12:00 AM

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  • I remember well the debacle of the building of the new Central High School. The voters repeatedly said no because the main reason that the school district wanted it was to compete with the new Notre Dame school. They rammed through a smaller version and have been trying to grab more money to make it bigger ever since. Less money could have made a great addition at the older building instead.

    -- Posted by jcwill on Thu, Dec 10, 2009, at 8:49 AM
  • Chuckling a bit over the cheezy sales pitches of 'no tax increase' or 'extending the current levy'. Seems like an attempt to draw a close parallel with "don't cost nuthin'", which automatically throws up a red flag.

    Suppose it all depends on perspective, but mine is drawn from looking at what the resulting tax rate will be if nothing is done, and what the resulting rate would be if the measure passes.

    If the resulting rate for the measure passing is different than the resulting rate if nothing is done - then I consider that a tax increase or, in those rare cases, a tax decrease.

    -- Posted by fxpwt on Thu, Dec 10, 2009, at 10:52 AM
  • Brad,

    The Building Trades class at the CGCTC rehabbed the old Vo-tech Building a few years back, not to mention the class builds houses every year from the ground up.

    It would be the logical/smart/common sense thing to do, in getting the students in that class to take care of some of these things, then the district wouldn't have to pay huge general labor costs. But "the irony of it all," is that common sense doesn't appear to be figured into any equation when it comes to decisions around the Cape area. Be it the school board, county commission, etc...

    I'm sure there are obstacles that would require an expirienced professional for specific issues but, overall it would definately cut costs. Labor is usually 35-50% of the total cost of a given project, if not more.

    -- Posted by Bushman_212 on Thu, Dec 10, 2009, at 11:46 AM
  • We don't have children either, but we pay our school tax gladly. Better to have a school system turning out educated young adults (than a town full of unschooled idiots) who will someday take care of us and our community - if they don't have the good sense to move away. Believe me, the paltry portion we pay in taxes does not pay for a single student's education. It's the combined sum total of all sharing the load. As to the building issue - yes, there are issues. But think of this. This is their "workplace" - students, teachers and admin. If you were stuck in a closet, with no air conditioning, no windows, no breaks to let off pent up energies - what motivation would you have to excell? Or stick around? Such is the case with our schools - they need to be safe and such an environment to motivate our children and young adults to reach their maximum potential. And it's not fair to expect teachers and administrators to work in conditions you would not tolerate to perform your job. I'm just saying...IMO.

    -- Posted by mc9 on Thu, Dec 10, 2009, at 12:15 PM
  • Brad, Good reading. Although written in format amusing, you have prompted some of us to think.

    The first thing they need to do is bring in some trailers for extra classrooms. Next create a crisis with an example of poor academic acheivement linked to lack of space and a roof leak destroying a critical computer. That should do it. Not to mention the possibility of mold which will kill everyone three times over.

    -- Posted by Old John on Thu, Dec 10, 2009, at 4:21 PM
  • I think of Franklin School as it was in the 1940s, and it is difficult to give up those memories.

    But this is sixty odd years later. Its difficult to realize times and needs change.

    Suppose I just don't want to face changes.

    -- Posted by voyager on Thu, Dec 10, 2009, at 8:48 PM
  • Brad, I thought you really had something with the students from the Career and Tech school do the construction and repair. But then I thought about a friend whose kid goes there. Having students do this has to deal with class time vs. real world construction time, teachers schedule vs. construction schedule etc. How long would it take to do some of these things if the labor force was only available for two hours a day, three times a week? Might save money but it also might take a really long time to finish. Any idea how they do on the houses that they build as a student project?

    -- Posted by IonU on Fri, Dec 11, 2009, at 3:13 PM
  • Any truth to the rumor that one of the reasons for adding classrooms is that Cape is going back to K-5 elementary schools?

    -- Posted by hydrangea on Fri, Dec 11, 2009, at 11:13 PM
  • I agree that the Career Center students should do the roof job! They couldn't be any worse than the orginal contractor or the fool who did the Federal Building or the fool who did the Jackson highschool roof!

    -- Posted by Skeptic1 on Sat, Dec 12, 2009, at 6:37 PM