Subscribe
Shop Local
Magazine
Gas Prices
Today's Poll!Purchase of land proof of one-school commitment
Jefferson City Schools Superintendent Brian Mitchell addresses those assembled for the announcement of the location of the proposed new high school, located just north of Mission Drive and the new St. Mary’s Hospital. Photo by Julie Smith.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Based on last year’s official enrollment numbers, the most recent available, Jefferson City’s Public School District is the state’s 21st largest.
The top 20 districts all have at least two public high schools — and most in that list have three, four or five high schools.
Although the district is 21st, Jefferson City High School is the state’s 11th largest — a situation that continues to prompt some Mid-Missourians to argue school officials are out of touch because they won’t propose having two public high schools.
“That’s a question we’ve heard,” Superintendent Brian Mitchell told reporters during Monday’s news conference announcing the purchase of 118 acres as the site of a proposed new high school complex.
Earlier coverage:
Marry Me
Comments
Timothy 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Everyone that I have talked to thinks there should be 2 High Schools. This includes school officials who can not voice their opinion. I would like to see the school board do the responsible thing and place the issue on a ballot. However, intimidation is unable to stretch it'sinfluence into the voting booth so that will never happen. For this reason, (the board's refusal to represent the district) I will vote against any tax increase and will encourage all I know ot consider the student's and faculty's needs.
Marc_Backes 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Everyone I talk to thinks that having 7 smaller academies on one campus is a great idea. This includes school officials, teachers, administrative staff, & parents whose kids will attend the schools and have gone on site visits to other schools who are implementing academies. I'm glad to see Dr. Mitchell and the School Board demonstrate leadership and courage by painting a new vision for JCHS and what it's future will be 50 years from now. I will be voting for the investment in our children's educational future and will also encourage all I know to educate themselves how this project will far exceed the students and faculty's needs for years to come.
Wetsu 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Hey Marc quite drinking their kool aid. You sound just like them. You probably agree with the hiring of Graber also that prompted 19 teachers to leave after just one school year of his pitiful leadership as principal. Remember our school board looked far and wide to find Pemberton's replacement. They couldn't promote from within because thought they needed new blood. Look what it got us. Look what they did with him the following year. They promoted him to the admin office. They are pathetic. They gave Mitchell a $9600.00 dollor raise which the news tribune denounced as excessive. Stop it.
rodinman 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Look at all the smiling faces in the picture. They are having difficulty controlling their enthusiasm.
tonto_goldberg 7 months, 3 weeks ago
They look like the Rock Ridge townspeople meeting their new Sheriff Bart.
JCLifer 7 months, 3 weeks ago
The architect / consultant on the end is smiling lots. He is thinking about all the money he is raking in from the taxpayers as the school board fritters away our tax dollars designing and studying and discussing all the building options. This project will probably allow him to retire a very wealthy man doing all their concept work, and nothing will ever be built. Wonder if he is the same guy raking in the dollars on the City Council's Convention Center fiasco too?
For1NewJCHS 7 months, 3 weeks ago
A vote against this is a vote against our Jefferson City public school students. Our students are overcrowding Simonsen and JCHS, and the classes now in Kindergarten and First grade are upwards of 700 to 800 students. We don't have the buildings that will hold all those kids! Two high schools is more expensive! You have to hire two sets of faculty and staff and all the facilities at each high school have to be exactly the same and equal. All of the faculty and staff I have talked to within the district are excited about the land purchase, one new high school and the change to academies. I will vote for anything that helps our kids!
JCLifer 7 months, 3 weeks ago
It doesn't help our kids to keep them in a pressure-cooker huge facility where they are nothing but a number, and the gangs, drugs, and violent students get all the attention. You are fooling yourself if you think building a brand new prison camp of a high school will help anyone. Smaller schools with more personal attention, and more opportunities for all students to participate are much better for kids.
You sound like a tightwad who wants to help protect your wallet at the expense of our kids.
Gotigers 7 months, 3 weeks ago
That is flawed logic... you would not need to double the staff for two high schools. You would still keep the same teacher to student ratio. You are misrepresenting the facts.
GoodSolutions 7 months, 3 weeks ago
You have to have a principal staff for every building. You have to have a food service staff for every kitchen. You have to have a physical education staff for every facility. You have to have a custodian staff at every facility. I'm not talking about duplicating teachers. I'm talking about the support staff. That is not flawed logic. Those are the facts.
Wetsu 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Jc is not overcrowded. It's not even close to design capacity per Luther in past articles. Get your facts straight. Simonsen is the problem. By the way when this 800+ class gets to the high school how much of a chance will your kid have a shot at starting on one of the athletic teams or what ever. Competition will be strong with that many kids competing for a spot. Maybe your kid won't even try out because he or she knows the competition is more than they can handle. There won't be 7 different football teams or track teams or baseball or softball or speach teams. What is the maximum capacity of this Taj Mahal. If your in love with academies fine but this town needs two separate schools. Don't ask us to pay for something we do not believe in. Two separate schools would give more opportunities to the students. Columbia is building their third high school people. If we really want to get it right we need two schools. The second school doesn't need to be a Taj Mahal. How big is too big? Remember, when the catholic schools graduate their eighth grade each year not all of them attend Helias. That adds even more kids to that 800 plus class. Think about it! The voters will decide, not the teachers, Mitchell , the country club school board, Randy Allen and the chamber because we pay the bills through property taxes. By the way if you rent expect your rent to increase because most landlords aren't going to absorb the tax increase.
GoodSolutions 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Would you be willing to vote for a property tax increase for 2 high schools? Even if it's more than the proposed property tax increase?
centerguy56 7 months, 1 week ago
Oh Dan! please get ur facts straight! PLEASE!
tonto_goldberg 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Ooooh! Ooooh! Ooooh! How about a caption contest for this picture?
"The school board soon came to regret extending the superintendent's contract."
TrueStory 7 months, 3 weeks ago
This is just silly. They say you will need twice the staff for 2 schools. Really! They would have that great a student teacher ratio! I would want to go to that school. They are obsessed with the 500 football players for 1 team ratio. Academies don't work. They make kids make career choices too soon. Many don't know what they want to do when they graduate, how are they going to choose as freshmen. Would if you change and want to do something else and you have been taking the wrong classes. In college you just add a year..... I think Blair Oaks sounds great right now, maybe it is time to move. I am more tired of all the violence and gangs at one high school. Seems that won't change. Maybe they will need to hire twice the number of security guards for such a large campus.....
JCLifer 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Amen on Blair Oaks.
MO4LIFE 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Jefferson City Public Schools Will never go to a Two High School plan. That would put the school district in a differnt class for the sports program. Therefore the out of state games and the SO-called JC Powerhouse Teams would be over.
The 1 High School solution is all about the sports programs and nothing more.
Marc_Backes 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Athletics is not what's driving this initiative. No matter how many times it gets said or how long people say it, it's simply not the case. I've been a part of this process for over two years now - both as a SSSC member and a parent and it's just not true. Creating a higher level graduate from JCHS ,adopting a 21st century academic model that prepares our graduates to immediately enter the economic workforce upon graduation, increasing graduation rates, making a big school smaller, and doing it in the most economically feasible way are the driving forces behind this proposal.
Crcknup 7 months, 3 weeks ago
PREPARING high school kids for what comes after graduation would actually require counselors to do their jobs!! Your idea of this "21st century academic model" helping prepare the graduates for LIFE makes me chuckle!! What in the world would this have to do with preparing kids for the workforce?
JCLifer 7 months, 2 weeks ago
What workforce? A $10/hr state job for the rest of their lives?
Gotigers 7 months, 3 weeks ago
So we spent $6 million tax payer dollars on a stadium that we now want to abandon and we just spent over $3 million tax payer dollars on land that we haven't gotten voter approval for?
That is $9 million taxpayer dollars that is completely wasted. Quite frankly, that should be a crime.
JMO 7 months, 3 weeks ago
I'd like someone to explain to me how that land is worth anything close to $3 million.
Marc_Backes 7 months, 3 weeks ago
120 Acres X $27,000/acre = 3.2M
Less per acre than St. Mary's paid for the land they are putting the new hospital on. Only slightly higher than what they paid / acre to build Lewis & Clark Middle School 10 years ago. Sounds like they got the land at the proper market price.
richg 7 months, 3 weeks ago
I'm not arguing that the price/acre is unreasonable, especially compared to what St. Mary's paid. However to say it is only "slightly" higher than the $20,000/acre paid for L&C property is "slightly" understated as $27,000/acre compared to $20,000/acre is 35% more.
Marc_Backes 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Richg,
I understand your point, BUT if you factor in that the LC land was bought 10 years ago and account for inflation at an annual rate of even 3-4% and look at the fact that the land is one contiguous track along a major road artery and next to a $100M brand new hospital, I don't think that "slightly more" is a gross exaggeration.
interested_party 7 months, 3 weeks ago
<p>@TrueStory...get your facts right, academies don't force students to make career choices as freshmen. Academy learning is about hands-on project-based learning where kids get to choose what is interesting to them. And they have the freedom to choose electives as well. It is anything but forced and it is not railroading them into a career path! Maybe you should find out the true story before you speak. Please move to Blair Oaks, this District needs one less uniformed citizen speaking untruths and sabotaging a good thing for the community.For1NewJCHS 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Gotigers - the current stadium improvements were not paid for by tax dollars. The money was raised by booster clubs and individuals in the community to redo the current field, locker room and track. All of the money donated for that will be included the sale of the existing campus and all of the bricks and pieces that individuals purchased will be moved to the new high school site. Also how do you keep the same student teacher ratio when you have a growing number of students and split the current number of teachers in half? Check your own logic please.
spelchek 7 months, 3 weeks ago
"Also how do you keep the same student teacher ratio when you have a growing number of students and split the current number of teachers in half? " -- Well if student numbers are growing wouldn't that disparity eventually be balanced by the teachers needed to meet the demand you mention?
Gotigers 7 months, 3 weeks ago
You are incorrect. If you have staff to cover 2 thousand kids currently and you split it into 2 schools, then some teachers would move to a new school. Now you have 1000 at each school and the appropriate staff. So saying you would double the staff is incorrect.
For1NewJCHS 7 months, 3 weeks ago
JCLifer - The Academies are exactly what you are saying you want. It will be basically 7 smaller schools within a single high school campus. The kids will be able to build relationships with other kids that have similar interests as well as teachers they will see everyday for several years. There will be many more opportunities for students to get involved in activities that weren't offered before.
asb 7 months, 3 weeks ago
This dead horse may get up and leave yet out of boredom. The number of teachers would not double with a second high school, the number of administrators will go up more than the number of teachers. Football is the biggest driver here, no matter what is said, but not the only one. More space is needed, newer infrastructure (cost to heat/cool/electric/IT) and just newer building(s) = cheaper to run. Acadamies do work, but are really not THE FULL answer for a largely middle-class highschool. they work best as a side option, and emulate wealthier districts, and require more administrators. The academy issue is really separate, there's no reason that two schools couldn't have some or all academy approaches; so the academy conversation should be dropped from this issue. The issue is building/campus size, being a class vs being a mote, or of the cost of administering two buildings or one giant factory. Two is better, but it's not going to happen as long as the dream of Football Power is dancing in the heads of the local powers.
JMO 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Why does there have to be two football teams with two high school buildings? Why can't there be "JCHS East Campus" and JCHS West Campus" (or whatever direction the new one is) and one team drawn from both schools? I just don't get why that's a problem...but then I'm not a football person.
Marc_Backes 7 months, 3 weeks ago
The one school - multiple campuses idea was thoroughly explored by the SSSC and the real challenge that would be way too costly and too much of a headache to overcome is transportation/administrative/logistical/scheduling challenges of shuttling and scheduling students in between the campuses. Out of all the options we looked at as a committee, that was the one that presented the most issues without really resolving any of the true issues JCHS was facing.
richg 7 months, 3 weeks ago
It doesn't make any difference what is proposed. The school district voters are never going to pass a bond issue of this size. They have shown in the past several elections that an increase in any tax will not pass in this community.
LuckNLove 7 months, 3 weeks ago
@richg - I think you are mistaken. I have faith that it will be approved. All the taxpayers I know have been saying that a second high school is long overdue.
sancho 7 months, 3 weeks ago
How many of you who have posted so far attended any of the public meetings the school board held on the study they were doing? Or, if you did not attend any of those meetings, how many of you read the information about the options, for example you went to the website provided and read about the academy concept?
I did attend meetings and read material. Around the country business people, and specifically managers at manufacturing companies, believe the current educaitonal system in the U.S. does not prepare students for the 21st century workforce. I heard that here in Jefferson City and I heard that from family members who are educators in other parts of the country.
The academy model was developed to do a better job of positioning high school graduates to succeed in whatever field or educaitonal situation they enter. I hope we succeed in implementing this plan.
Gotigers 7 months, 3 weeks ago
sancho--your comments are well thought out. I don't see the issue as being about academies, from the meetings I attended it is my understanding that pass or fail they will implement them at the current location.
The issue at hand is whether to spend $70 million to create the largest high school in the state when facts tell us that a smaller campus is more equitable for student learning.
RobHunterJohnson 7 months, 3 weeks ago
The class of 75 Parkway West, we had 30 to 40 students in each class? Over 800 seniors? In 7th grade we went to school at the senior high, 7th to 12th. 8th we went split shift at another junior high crossing over for 2 hrs at mid day? Brand new building, we had PODS for class rooms in 9th grade, no thats not a trailer, it was a building with no interior wall between class rooms,3, or 4 class rooms in a pod with a common area between. What a disaster! Class size needs to be small, for better interaction between student and teacher. We are a town that needs 2 schools; not another experiment. College is College. Rob
Mom23 7 months, 3 weeks ago
I, too, once believed that Jefferson City needed two high schools to serve our students. I have attended numerous meetings and asked many questions and now believe that our board is acting in the best interest of our students with choosing to move forward with the academy concept and the building of one school. If you think about it, it's the best of both worlds. A small school setting that also offers all of the benefits of a large school, i.e. more advanced courses, more courses in general to choose from, etc. Change is scary, but it can also be very exciting! Please go to meetings and check out the website the school has established to help you answer any questions you might have. I believe it is newjchs.us.
ReaderandVoter 7 months, 3 weeks ago
So the Superintendent's argument is "it's not fair" to leave some high school students in the old high school building if there was another high school?? The administration never seemed to have this problem when building new elementary schools and leaving students in the old East and old West and old South school buildings. Pleeease!!! This is a totally lame argument against two high schools. And it's insulting to even present to us voters.
Columbia is now building their 3rd high school. Guess their voters and school administration don't care if they are unfair to students in the Hickman high school...which happens to be a fine school despite not being a new building.
Wonder how much future taxes the school has removed from the Jefferson City and Cole County tax roles by taking all that land next to the new hospital? Could have made for some nice tax-paying business locations.
For1NewJCHS 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Maybe it is selfish, but I would not want my kids to attend the "old" JCHS if a second new high school was built. Many parents would not be "just fine" with sending their kids to the old school if they contribute tax dollars to the new one too. I want the future students of Jefferson City to have the best of everything and splitting this community between two high schools(and this is not about sports!) is not a good idea.
ReaderandVoter 7 months, 3 weeks ago
So under your logic, we should be building all new elementary buildings every time a new one is added? Why should East school students have to be on that old building with other students getting to be in the new Pioneer school out West? Sorry..."life is not fair" in case your parents never told you that years ago.
Most students and experts already know good teachers are the key..not the new classroom. Students have gotten, and can continue to receive, excellent education in the existing high school building with excellent teachers.
JCLifer 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Who was the seller of the land?
Gotigers 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Heimrick family owns part and LLC named Tribeca LLC-- I have been told that it is owned by the Farmer companies.
Gotigers 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Had dinner with friends (who are Catholic) and they had a very unique point of view. They said that Jefferson City has one of the highest percentage population of private schools in Missouri. St. Joe, St. Martins, St. Peters, I.C., Concord Christian and Trinity Lutheran. Six full elementary schools that JC school district benefits from on taxes but does not have to educate the children. What would happen if all those kids enrolled in JC schools next August? Their point was, JC should have a large excess of funds and shouldn't be asking for more tax dollars. Interesting point that I had never considered.
GoodSolutions 7 months, 3 weeks ago
In Boone County, the Columbia School assessed tax on property was 4.7089 in 2007, 4.7292 in 2008, 4.7717 in 2009, 4.8492 in 2010 and 4.8812 in 2011. In Cole County, the Jefferson City School assessed tax on property was 3.6770 for 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. Do you think the voters of this school district are willing to pay the kind of taxes they are paying in Columbia?
tonto_goldberg 7 months, 3 weeks ago
If they got the kind of schools the taxpayers get in Columbia, they might be more likely to pay the taxes required to have them.
Gotigers 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Jefferson City has 6 parochial elementary schools, plus Helias and Calvary Lutheran that they collect taxes on but don't have to educate those kids. Columbia has 1 parochial school.
For1NewJCHS 7 months, 3 weeks ago
The public schools receive local tax dollars from property taxes. They don't receive tax payer money from the state for kids they don't educate in the public school system. Actually Columbia has at least 11 private schools 5 of which include students through the high school years.
rollnthndr 7 months, 3 weeks ago
Much has been discussed about duplication of services. Well we already have it with Simonsen and the Academic center. Additional food service and custodial as starters. There are 6-8 administrators at the current high school and 3 at Simonsen. How many is it going to take for 7 small academies. So I don't believe there would be excessive duplication of services as is being implied. The school district says there are currently 40 kids who live with in the area that the new high encompass. Will there be additional transportation costs to bus all the kids to the new school? How much of the 118 acres is going to be a parking lot?
It has been said athletics is not "driving this initiative" and I believe it is not, but it is driving the 1 high school approach. Somewhere in this communtiy it is embedded that there will not be a second high school no matter what. If we want to attract businesses to this community having more than 1 high school each offering different approaches to education will be a major asset. This is something I believe many in the community would be willing to pay for compared to the fluff that was proposed in "Transformation".
For1NewJCHS 7 months, 2 weeks ago
If you want to get an idea of the parking space take a look at the concept of the facilities at newjchs.us. Keep in mind it is just a concept and those artist renderings could change. I truly don't believe that athletics is driving the one high school idea. With one high school you can offer more classes, and have more opportunities for kids to be involved in clubs. When you mention attracting businesses to this community, remember we do have at least three high schools here with JC, Helias and Calvary Lutheran. All of which offer very different approaches to education.
rollnthndr 7 months, 2 weeks ago
Two out of those three options are private schools. Nice too have in the community but does not replace a second public option. Not sure how you can say with "one high school you can offer more classes, and have more opportunities for kids to be involved in clubs".
The problem with 1 high school is there are not enough opportunities for 2,500 - 3,000 students. Who did the cost estimates between the different options.? My guess is the district, and they presented figures that supported their goals. Information that I have read about the academy approach is to bring down the drop out rate. This is a bottoms up approach to education. When students are moved through the school system and they can not perform academically at grade level we will continue to have problems with students when they reach high school. It's time for the educational system in our community to make sure these students are performing at grade level. This needs to start in the elementary grades and when we begin to do this, only then will we see an improvement in the drop out rate.
Please review our Policies and Procedures before registering or commenting
Or login with:
OpenID