What will happen the if building bond doesn’t pass?
To the Editor:
What will happen if the building bond doesn’t pass?
This is an excellent question and it will be an important question if the vote doesn’t pass. There are many options, but none of them balance the needs of the district with the concerns of our taxpayers like this project. This building project is an enormous opportunity to consolidate campuses. We have needs at both Helen Baker and the high school. It makes total sense to identify these needs with one project instead of two. It also makes sense to address these needs at one time instead of having them addressed year after year.
One important comment that we kept hearing over and over from our public was to make sure you do the project right because we don’t want to have a bond election every other year. I wholeheartedly agree with this thought process. The last time this school district had a successful building bond vote for a school was for the high school, which was built in 1969. When you look back at the district and the facilities, you can argue that the district has done a great job of keeping our buildings clean and running. But the time is now for us to secure our buildings, help our staff stay innovative, and to become more efficient with this vote.
In looking at our needs and the benefits that we can obtain by having our addition on one campus in Glencoe, we will be in good shape for many years to come through this project. That is, unless we start to grow and we need more classroom space. The current building project is certainly more expensive, yet it is less square feet than the plan presented to voters in 2011.
In the 2011 version, we planned for an additional section in each of our elementary grades; the current plan does not include space for additional sections but is planned for five sections. In looking ahead, this should be good for the next several years, but you never know.
Because the building project was narrowly voted down twice in 2011, we made some changes. We tried to find the balance after hearing from our public about why they voted the building project down, while still making sure we identified our needs. This is a balancing act in which we worked very hard to address our public’s concerns, but I believe this project addresses the public’s concerns as well as addresses the school district’s needs. The plan is not perfect, but we are trying to address our needs, keep the cost as low as possible, and put forth a project that will pass.
If this doesn’t pass, the School Board will meet again to discuss a plan on how to move forward. This plan could include many options, but, for now, our focus is on this plan as it is the best plan that addresses the many needs of the district and concerns of our taxpayers.
The GSL School system is a true asset to the communities in our district. This building project is not only good for our students, which is the main reason we are doing this, but it is good for our entire district. Having our facilities stay at status quo is not in the best interest of our kids and of the kids that it will serve who are not even born yet.
Yes, many of us say that the buildings we have are “good enough,” but I challenge that thought process as we should always want it better for the next generation. Education shouldn’t be about competition, comparisons, or even “this school is better than that school;” rather, it should be about learning and learning for the kids who are in that particular building. I want all schools to thrive, flourish, and improve, because they all have great kids, and because we have great kids at GSL, they should be able to have a facility that will provide them with as many different learning opportunities as possible. Right now, our facilities limit this.
As we continue to move closer and closer to the vote, I invite you to stop in at Helen Baker and the high school to see firsthand what we are talking about. Thank you all for your time and here’s to continuing with school improvement for our students each and every day! Remember, the vote is May 12.
Christopher D. Sonju
Superintendent of Schools
