One parcel, two trials?

[scarbroughknight]

One other thing about Scullen; there are kids that have to share lockers. I know of one parent whose son had to share a locker with another and he had to hang his coats in the lunchroom. I still never understood why the SB didnt allow Peterson to be used for Scullens 6th grade and therefore eliminating the overcrowding. Wheatland could have been kept open for the areas elementry students. I asked Bradshaw about it and he said Peterson wasnt feasable. We transfered my oldest son from Scullen into Still. Major difference

[driven]

movingforward said:

doctorwho said:

portables are not the first thing that happens --- first LMC's become classrooms , and art - music rooms get used for regular classes - etc -- this has always been the case in this district.

This restricts learning and some offerings - but doesn't cost $.

Like at Hill where some kids are eating lunch in hallways and other types of rooms because there is not room in the lunchroom for everyone. I am sure the Scullen parents can add their stories to this.

I have lived through severe overcrowding at Mya Watts before the addition was built on -- severe overcrowding at WV before NV opened -- there were no protables then either - so why are they now the ONLY sign of overcrowding ?

Here is the reality at Scullen. I can only speak from the school that I know personally.

**classrooms are being created in the family room areas (the open areas outside the classrooms - only for large tasks, such stations or how-to presentations, where larger space is needed

**some gym classes are being held in the hallways - only weightlifting / cardio / muscle work, all done with mats and all for the same unit

**some music classes are being held in the lunchrooms - none that my child has ever heard of or been involved in - only the school musical because that is where the stage is

I have also seen that teachers have become much stricter and have a zero tolerance with behavior issues because there are just too many kids to deal with. Teachers are spending a great deal of time making sure the kids are safe when moving from class to class.

Sure, some may say their kids are happy at Scullen despite this situation; mine included, but that doesn't mean that this type of learning environment should continue long term. It is unacceptable. To solve this problem, the community voted for a long term solution.

Harry, I would suggest that you contact Kathy Kosteck or Ron Hillman to ask for a tour once school starts; be sure you are in the hallways when the bell rings. Email is the best way to contact them I believe. The administrators are spending more time on safety issues than academics- that is the downfall and reality of overcrowding.

As a parent of a Scullen student, I will completely agree that Scullen is overcrowded. I absolutely disagree that the administrators are spending more time on safety issues than academics. Kathy Kosteck & Ron Hillman (one of my favorites) have been doing a great job doing the best that they can. I am so impressed with the Scullen staff! Obviously, it is working because no one I know is unhappy at Scullen due to overcrowding. Puberty and pre-teen drama maybe...

[driven]

scarbroughknight said:

One other thing about Scullen; there are kids that have to share lockers. I know of one parent whose son had to share a locker with another and he had to hang his coats in the lunchroom. I still never understood why the SB didnt allow Peterson to be used for Scullens 6th grade and therefore eliminating the overcrowding. Wheatland could have been kept open for the areas elementry students. I asked Bradshaw about it and he said Peterson wasnt feasable. We transfered my oldest son from Scullen into Still. Major difference

Call the school. No more locker sharing. Hooray!!!

[gatormom]

scarbroughknight said:

One other thing about Scullen; there are kids that have to share lockers. I know of one parent whose son had to share a locker with another and he had to hang his coats in the lunchroom. I still never understood why the SB didnt allow Peterson to be used for Scullens 6th grade and therefore eliminating the overcrowding. Wheatland could have been kept open for the areas elementry students. I asked Bradshaw about it and he said Peterson wasnt feasable. We transfered my oldest son from Scullen into Still. Major difference

The facilities at an ES cannot support the curriculum for MS. Science labs, music, art, et cetera. If they were to do that, Scullen children would not have the same opportunities the rest of the district has in 6th grade.

[movingforward]

driven said:

movingforward said:

Here is the reality at Scullen. I can only speak from the school that I know personally.

**classrooms are being created in the family room areas (the open areas outside the classrooms - only for large tasks, such stations or how-to presentations, where larger space is needed

**some gym classes are being held in the hallways - only weightlifting / cardio / muscle work, all done with mats and all for the same unit

**some music classes are being held in the lunchrooms - none that my child has ever heard of or been involved in - only the school musical because that is where the stage is

I have also seen that teachers have become much stricter and have a zero tolerance with behavior issues because there are just too many kids to deal with. Teachers are spending a great deal of time making sure the kids are safe when moving from class to class.

Sure, some may say their kids are happy at Scullen despite this situation; mine included, but that doesn't mean that this type of learning environment should continue long term. It is unacceptable. To solve this problem, the community voted for a long term solution.

Harry, I would suggest that you contact Kathy Kosteck or Ron Hillman to ask for a tour once school starts; be sure you are in the hallways when the bell rings. Email is the best way to contact them I believe. The administrators are spending more time on safety issues than academics- that is the downfall and reality of overcrowding.

As a parent of a Scullen student, I will completely agree that Scullen is overcrowded. I absolutely disagree that the administrators are spending more time on safety issues than academics. Kathy Kosteck & Ron Hillman (one of my favorites) have been doing a great job doing the best that they can. I am so impressed with the Scullen staff! Obviously, it is working because no one I know is unhappy at Scullen due to overcrowding. Puberty and pre-teen drama maybe...

Driven,

I agree. My previous posts have stated what a great job our teachers and administrators are doing about a situation they have no control over.

The reason for my post was due to my frustration with Harry's posts claiming that there is no overcrowding at Scullen....He claims that if there were that he would have heard about it.....

I am simply pointing out to him the realities.

[Arch]

Movingforward,

Sometimes things are posted on this board just to invoke a reaction, and realities never come into play.

[lacy]

gatormom said:

scarbroughknight said:

One other thing about Scullen; there are kids that have to share lockers. I know of one parent whose son had to share a locker with another and he had to hang his coats in the lunchroom. I still never understood why the SB didnt allow Peterson to be used for Scullens 6th grade and therefore eliminating the overcrowding. Wheatland could have been kept open for the areas elementry students. I asked Bradshaw about it and he said Peterson wasnt feasable. We transfered my oldest son from Scullen into Still. Major difference

The facilities at an ES cannot support the curriculum for MS. Science labs, music, art, et cetera. If they were to do that, Scullen children would not have the same opportunities the rest of the district has in 6th grade.

Will the students at Metea have the same opportunities as the rest of the district if there are not enough funds to finish the building when it opens (or it has to be scaled back)?

[momto4]

lacy said:

Will the students at Metea have the same opportunities as the rest of the district if there are not enough funds to finish the building when it opens (or it has to be scaled back)?

It's my opinion that the students at Metea in the early years will NOT have the same opportunities as the students in the other schools regardless of facilities because they will be missing the juniors and seniors. Academically this should be fine, but it will affect most extra-curriculars and some elective courses.

[lacy]

movingforward said:

driven said:

As a parent of a Scullen student, I will completely agree that Scullen is overcrowded. I absolutely disagree that the administrators are spending more time on safety issues than academics. Kathy Kosteck & Ron Hillman (one of my favorites) have been doing a great job doing the best that they can. I am so impressed with the Scullen staff! Obviously, it is working because no one I know is unhappy at Scullen due to overcrowding. Puberty and pre-teen drama maybe...

Driven,

I agree. My previous posts have stated what a great job our teachers and administrators are doing about a situation they have no control over.

The reason for my post was due to my frustration with Harry's posts claiming that there is no overcrowding at Scullen....He claims that if there were that he would have heard about it.....

I am simply pointing out to him the realities.

If things are so bad at the middle school level, then why has there been no relief except for one portable installed 2 years ago at Scullen?

The first referendum committee was formed to study overcrowding at the middle school level (How many years ago was that?) and some - even those on the committee - believe they were steered toward a third high school as a solution. So the middle schoolers wait...?

They could have built a middle school by now on the BB site.

[lacy]

momto4 said:

lacy said:

Will the students at Metea have the same opportunities as the rest of the district if there are not enough funds to finish the building when it opens (or it has to be scaled back)?

It's my opinion that the students at Metea in the early years will NOT have the same opportunities as the students in the other schools regardless of facilities because they will be missing the juniors and seniors. Academically this should be fine, but it will affect most extra-curriculars and some elective courses.

And this is acceptable to you? I think it would not be to many.

[happymom]

Just an FYI, I was with several teachers/admins over the weekend and don't know how many people are aware that:

1) The teachers that were moved to be Intervention Specialists in the district were done so because the district did not need 19 teachers. These IS specialist positions were created to keep from riffing 19 teachers. According to the admin person -- enrollment is down.

The bubble is in middle school and will stay there. This persons feeling is to take the land we have, build the MUCH NEEDED middle school on it, then build an addition onto WV and NV and save $40 million dollars.

I don't know about the additions at WV and NV, but apparently the SD knows exactly where they can do it so apparently it has been looked at. This person does know about elementary numbers and they are down.

2) Also with looking at reallocating the 19 teachers the class sizes went up. Our new Super does not think class size matters once the class size is over 16.

Does this relate to BB -- well, it sounds like the SB may have to rethink what their options are and what they need to do.

As a taxpayer and parent -- not real happy if this is going to drag out and not the original solution we were promised. I would rather see the SB acknowledge IF (and that statement truly is an "IF") numbers are decreasing and deal with the middle school issues and then make reasonable solutions to the high school problems. I know we need extra space at the high schools (I have one at WV now), but accord to admin the southern end of the district is much worse and the addition there could have helped NV a lot along with an addition onto the back parking lot at WV. This would keep the gold campus and alleviate the space crunch for the interim.

Apparently, 203 is having the same problem with declining numbers and they have to deal with Central.

Just FYI.

[harry]

driven said:

movingforward said:

Here is the reality at Scullen. I can only speak from the school that I know personally.

**classrooms are being created in the family room areas (the open areas outside the classrooms - only for large tasks, such stations or how-to presentations, where larger space is needed

**some gym classes are being held in the hallways - only weightlifting / cardio / muscle work, all done with mats and all for the same unit

**some music classes are being held in the lunchrooms - none that my child has ever heard of or been involved in - only the school musical because that is where the stage is

I have also seen that teachers have become much stricter and have a zero tolerance with behavior issues because there are just too many kids to deal with. Teachers are spending a great deal of time making sure the kids are safe when moving from class to class.

Sure, some may say their kids are happy at Scullen despite this situation; mine included, but that doesn't mean that this type of learning environment should continue long term. It is unacceptable. To solve this problem, the community voted for a long term solution.

Harry, I would suggest that you contact Kathy Kosteck or Ron Hillman to ask for a tour once school starts; be sure you are in the hallways when the bell rings. Email is the best way to contact them I believe. The administrators are spending more time on safety issues than academics- that is the downfall and reality of overcrowding.

As a parent of a Scullen student, I will completely agree that Scullen is overcrowded. I absolutely disagree that the administrators are spending more time on safety issues than academics. Kathy Kosteck & Ron Hillman (one of my favorites) have been doing a great job doing the best that they can. I am so impressed with the Scullen staff! Obviously, it is working because no one I know is unhappy at Scullen due to overcrowding. Puberty and pre-teen drama maybe...

Thanks for citing your examples moving

and

thanks driven for giving more balanced examples

and yes, The SB didn't forecast the growth of Scullen or just about ANY school correctly as many have had add on after add on

Petersen should have been turned into a 6th grade school replete with all of the computers etc needed for 6th grade.

A waste of money?? Not by todays outlook!!!! Still no 3rd HS on the Horizon. If the SB had implemented using Petersen correctly TWO YEARS AGO, we might not have had to add portables, which is where we are today

[doctorwho]

lacy said:

movingforward said:

Driven,

I agree. My previous posts have stated what a great job our teachers and administrators are doing about a situation they have no control over.

The reason for my post was due to my frustration with Harry's posts claiming that there is no overcrowding at Scullen....He claims that if there were that he would have heard about it.....

I am simply pointing out to him the realities.

If things are so bad at the middle school level, then why has there been no relief except for one portable installed 2 years ago at Scullen?

The first referendum committee was formed to study overcrowding at the middle school level (How many years ago was that?) and some - even those on the committee - believe they were steered toward a third high school as a solution. So the middle schoolers wait...?

They could have built a middle school by now on the BB site.

Can the MS be built on the 25 acres we own now and have access to the school for cars/ busses etc. ?

[bob]

This persons feeling is to take the land we have, build the MUCH NEEDED middle school on it, then build an addition onto WV and NV and save $40 million dollars.

I believe a new referendum would be needed.

Harry said:

The SB didn't forecast the growth of Scullen or just about ANY school correctly as many have had add on after add on

Got proof or is that your opinoin?

Can the MS be built on the 25 acres we own now and have access to the school for cars/ busses etc. ?

I believe so and that was the plan if the referendum failed.

[doctorwho]

harry said:

driven said:

As a parent of a Scullen student, I will completely agree that Scullen is overcrowded. I absolutely disagree that the administrators are spending more time on safety issues than academics. Kathy Kosteck & Ron Hillman (one of my favorites) have been doing a great job doing the best that they can. I am so impressed with the Scullen staff! Obviously, it is working because no one I know is unhappy at Scullen due to overcrowding. Puberty and pre-teen drama maybe...

Thanks for citing your examples moving

and

thanks driven for giving more balanced examples

and yes, The SB didn't forecast the growth of Scullen or just about ANY school correctly as many have had add on after add on

Petersen should have been turned into a 6th grade school replete with all of the computers etc needed for 6th grade.

A waste of money?? Not by todays outlook!!!! Still no 3rd HS on the Horizon. If the SB had implemented using Petersen correctly TWO YEARS AGO, we might not have had to add portables, which is where we are today

and there wouldn't have been screaming when they spent the rework monies to upgrade from ES to MS ( labs and such) and then had to change back when other schools open ? They are criticized for every nickel they spend - this would have been one more 'poor planning' criticism