Coalfield visits Letcher Co. (Series of articles)--1st one

[R0cketer]

Well...if you go by their price, 3 would be 63 million approximately. Isn't that much less than 109 or the goal of getting it down to 70 or so?

[ QUOTE ]
Well it'll be at least double unless someone decides to run a buy one get one free promotion...and that isn't gonna happen. This is school construction issues..not tuesday night at Pizza King.

[/ QUOTE ]


I was thinking if the same company did both schools they would give a little discount... bulk construction.

[Merlin]

And they did all this for around $21 million or about $105/sq. ft. Sounds like a bargain to me compared to the price tag of those renovations we are looking at over here. And, everyone in Letcher appears to be tickled to death with it. Since there are so many similarities to Wise County issues, I think this time we need to not look down at or ridicule our Ky neighbors, but take a very close look at what they went through and how they arrived at the solution they now have in place. Granted the Commonwealth of Ky took the reins and made it happen, but the entire County was involved and supported the project because it was the best solution for their children. All in all they now have access to much improved facilities, a better and broader ranging curriculum of class offerings, better participation in a wider variety of athletic and extra-curricular activities, and a better prepared & educated group of children that will now be entering the world economy of the future. How can anyone truly argue against this? Honestly?

It truly confounds me.

I know, at this point, my daughter will probably never be able to reap the benefits of such a new school being built in Wise County before she graduates, but surely to God, can anyone honestly and without guilt deny this possibility to their young children that will be coming up within the next 5 to 10 years not to mention those new generations of children that are yet to enter the school system? How can some people be so selfish and blind to these possibilities? Someone, please enlighten me.....

[SilentMajority]

[ QUOTE ]
I know, at this point, my daughter will probably never be able to reap the benefits of such a new school being built in Wise County before she graduates, but surely to God, can anyone honestly and without guilt deny this possibility to their young children that will be coming up within the next 5 to 10 years not to mention those new generations of children that are yet to enter the school system? How can some people be so selfish and blind to these possibilities? Someone, please enlighten me.....

[/ QUOTE ]

Excellent post. I believe that more people such as yourself need to speak out instead of the very vocal few.

I may be wrong here, and if I am please tell me, but are we not praising our schools for their SOL scores, which is just the basics? I fully understand that our children need to be strong in the basics, but the world is not basic anymore. I'm also under the impression that the SOL scores, particularly in the smaller schools, can be contstrued very easily. Aren't the ones who fail removed from the equation the next year? You'll forgive me, I was not an A+ student in statistics, but aren't the numbers more easily fluctuated with small numbers? An easy example is if you have a baseball player who has 10 at bats, they could look like an All-star by going 8 for 10. It's only over the course of a full season do you see a more accurate number.

If I read correctly, the gentleman from Appalachia, who spoke so strongly against consolidation, was downing the very nature of electives, or at least having a large variety. Why would anybody want that? I know that when I went to school, most of the fellas planned to work in the mines, and most of the girls planned on being housewives. That is/was fine in that time, but the world has changed. I'm sure that there will be some who have no desire to expand their horizons. Nobody is going to make them take electives but shouldn't it be about providing for the best and brightest, as well as those who drag behind? Nobody is going to require them to take advanced classes or studies to graduate, but currently you're lowering the education to the lowest common denominator. It shouldn't be that. The world is a competitive place, and the same people who speak about winning and setting and meeting goals in the athletic field, are happy with the academic field being on a participation level.

You are right, how can anyone be so selfish. I would love for my children to be on successful athletic teams. I would also love for my children to finish their high school careers completely ready for the challenges of college. Not to just make it to college, but to be among the very best. I would like for them to feel challenged, but not feel like they are inferior to others. I would then love for them to be able to stay in this area, and not just exist but lead. Our problems are many, we require new insight, new ways of thinking. Otherwise, this area will resemble the old ghost towns of the west. Our gold is coal, and soon, if we don't start trying to move forward, there will be little left here but the few who ride it out and tell of how things used to be.

[vikescoach]

Well said, and I applaud you for standing up. If more would, we'd be better off or at least on the right track

[jtw61194]

I've enjoyed reading these posts on Letcher County and hearing what you all have to say about the state of schools in Wise County. Where in the decision-making process is the leadership of Wise County? I mean, outside of people fussing about consolidation, where does this subject stand? It seems to me that if the buildings are in that much disrepair, and I haven't seen any of them in years, that the problem will get worse every day that a final decision isn't made. Just want to hear something from somebody "in the know."

[vikescoach]

I think that most of the leaders are afraid to actually stand up and make a decision. They dance around consolidation, but about croaked over spending $109 million to repair what we got. I personally feel like me lack real leadership. From the outside, the high schools don't appear to be too bad. On the other hand, internal structures are poor, heating is poor, and cooling is non existent. The electrical systems need work among many other things.

[MikeJones]

OMG your name sounds like a past coalfield editorial. Imagine that. A rather one sided editorial.

[R0cketer]

I didn't think an editorial was supposed to be neutral?

[imported_elp6n]

[ QUOTE ]
It is called dual enrollment and will work for the current children-no waiting or "kids left out by this generation

[/ QUOTE ]
I called the school board office on this the last time we discussed this particular subject.
The children/parents are responsible for a portion of the tuition for dual enrollment, not to mention text books (I often paid upwards of $90 per book back in the day) and transportation (not all students have cars or the means to pay for gas). Dual enrollment would be out of reach for many students for these reasons.