Our Opinion: Participate in public forum on school plan

News Tribune editorial

Sunday, December 16, 2012

“Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;”

— William Shakespeare, “Henry V, Act III”

In the battle of ideas on how to advance public secondary education in Jefferson City, credit the local school district with inviting public comment at an upcoming session.

The Jefferson City School Board will host the public forum from 7-9 p.m. Monday in the Jefferson City High School cafeteria. The district will outline its plan to build a new public high school to replace the existing facility.

District board members and officials also will hear other ideas, which include a preference to build a second facility and operate two public high schools. Proponents of that concept have galvanized into an organized group and representatives recently addressed board members.

We don’t mean to belabor the issue; instead we intend to highlight its importance — reinforced by the number of people who have commented on the issue at meetings, in letters and on Web forums.

The decision by the school board will have a profound effect on the future of public education and taxation for school district patrons.

The district — board members, administrators, faculty and patrons — deserve credit for the diligent, measured steps taken thus far.

Site visits, consultant input, focus groups, surveys and public meetings all have been part of the process.

And, despite publicity along the way, public awareness grows as the process proceeds.

The process now has proceeded through several major steps. The academy concept has been embraced, a plan for a single, new high school has been endorsed; a site has been purchased; and an agreement has been reached to sell the existing high school and other facilities.

Despite those steps, the district has not closed its doors, or its mind, to alternative proposals. Questions we have heard relate to costs — for new construction, remodeling, operations, transportation — and how a facility’s size and instructional approach relate to educational opportunities and student performance.

These are consequential issues and questions. The school district has been diligent in its efforts to be transparent and share its information, considerations and decisions with patrons. Full disclosure and transparency are necessary throughout the process, which ultimately will be decided by district voters.

Any decision will leave some patrons disappointed, but that is very different from being disregarded.

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RobHunterJohnson 5 months, 1 week ago

"The process now has proceeded through several major steps. The academy concept has been embraced, a plan for a single, new high school has been endorsed; a site has been purchased; and an agreement has been reached to sell the existing high school and other facilities." There was not much said about anything until the Board was pleased to announce the purchase of land for the new acadamy? Jefferson Bank, Mid America Bank, and Heimrickes Farm LLP? I am not mad at anyone for making money, that is what the world turns on, but 3.1 million dollars? Was there ever any mention of this purchase prior to the annoucement? The statement a couple of weeks ago that we need to get over it on the NT Blog? The acadamies are coming? The sale of the existing high school, I did not relize that the tax payers of Jefferson City are subsidizing the MIssouri State run facilities, with our fire sale of the Brand New Stadium, and derelict old building. I still stand on my position for two High Schools for Jefferson City, and smaller schools mean more oppurtunities for our kids! Even with a full one page add in the NT Sunday, I am not sold on this proposal. I would still like to know how long the school board thought they would get out of their brand new school in 1960? The Board is telling us we will get another 50 years out of the 1 and 2 high schools options? Why not build one more high school and remodel what we have? I would like to know what we will get for 25 million in remodeling an existing school? That way 50 years from now they can figure out where to place the new home of the Jays, and the second High school will still have another 50 years to go! Rob

JCLifer 5 months, 1 week ago

What is left to provide input to the school board?

The board has already made its decision and executed most of their plans. The whole thing is a done deal. The plans are drawn. The new land is purchased. The current high school, Nichols Career Center, Simonsen, and the newly-renovated Adkins Stadium have all been quickly sold at very low prices without even listing them for sale.

The only input that voters can have to provide input to modify anything is to vote "no" in the bond/levy increases election.

RobHunterJohnson 5 months, 1 week ago

I have to agree JC it will go to the ballot box, for the tax increase as well as school board members! The only ones who are losing are the kids, they should have had a 2nd high 20 years ago! Rob

JCLifer 5 months, 1 week ago

Longer than that, Rob. That school was way too big 40 years ago, and students were just a number back then. Of course it kind of made sense back then when the Jays were football champions every year.

mikemojc 5 months ago

The Jefferson City School Board seems to have attempted to proactively undermine any chance at a 2 high school plan when they agreed to sell the current facilities before they even put together a bond proposal for ANY new school plan. If the next bond proposal passes, the current campus is sold - done deal.

This seems to put the lie to any claims that they are open to ideas other than their mega replacement school.

I would very much like the News Tribune to exert their journalistic prowess and examine the records regarding 2 school board real estate transactions. First, the land purchased on Hwy 179; who owned what, when, and at what price over the course of the last 2 years. That land jumped in value geometrically, causing the school board to pay 27 TIMES the market value from 2 years ago. Second, could the News Tribune or some other disinterested 3rd party look over transactions for the sale of the current JCHS campus. How was a fair and equitable price arrived at? Who performed the assessment? What properties were used as a comparison for arriving at the campus' value? Is there documentation somewhere showing what the replacement value of those facilities are? I'm guessing that if lightning struck and the whole place burned to the ground, the insurance companies would be on the hook for far more that $11,000,000.

When they have the next public forum, I'll be there, front of the line, notebook in hand. :)

sancho 5 months ago

mikemojc, My home is insured for $250,000. If the whole place burned to the ground, the insurance company would be on the hook for $250,000. However, if I put my home on the market tomorrow, based on what I have observed with homes in my area, I probably would be pricing it at $130,000 or less. I'd be lucky to sell it for $120,000. You being bent out of shape and wanting to know the replacement costs for the existing JCHS, acting like that's the only figure the campus should be sold for, doesn't make sense. Personally I think the school board would only be able to sell the existing school if there is an interested buyer, which when it comes to vacated schools doesn't happen often. It's silly to imply that because the school is worth tens of millions of dollars that anyone would pay that much for it.

I have seen cases in other parts of the country where new schools were built, the old school buildings were vacated and left empty until someone decided they were a liability, tore them down and then had a lovely empty lot that no one was interested in buying either.

I think the school board was pretty smart, talking to LU and Linn Tech, working with them and getting this agreement in place to sell the existing school. That sale only happens if they move forward with building on the new site. If that is the final outcome, the existing school would be vacated after the existing St. Mary's Hospital is vacated. LU and Linn Tech have already agreed to buy the existing JCHS campus and hopefully will not be in the market for the old St. Mary's Hospital. And by the way, the old St. Mary's probably would better suit LU's need to expand their nursing program.

I'm sorry, all you guys are hooting and hollering about the land purchase and the agreement to sell the existing JCHS. The way I see it, it was smart. Also mikemojc, you mention the value of the land going up. Isn't that in the vicinity of the new St. Mary's? That land should be going up in value. I mean people pay $50,000 for a 1/4 acre lot to build a McMansion on. The lot my house is on, in an older part of town (near blight!) is valued at $20,000 for less than 1/2 acre. I guess I'm just a weirdo, but sorry, I don't think $27,000/acre in an area where development is happening and will continue to happen is such a bad move. If the school board can't get the public support for building on that site, they can sell the land and probably make a profit.

JCLifer 5 months ago

Save the money. Remodel the old high school that our parents and their parents built and paid for. Then build a small 2nd high school on cheaper land out west.

Don't make the taxpayers pay for the current high school twice and then throw it away.

RobHunterJohnson 5 months ago

Jefferson Bank, Mid America Bank, and Heimricke Farm LLP. I am not sure but it may go further? I to would like to know, I not upset with people making money, but? Rob

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