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State and stimulus may help with high school
Published Thursday, July 9, 2009
The Alabama Department of Education is conducting a survey for all the schools to see just how their needs match stimulus funds.
The money under the American Reinvestment Act could see its way into a major renovation of Selma High or construction of a new high school.
“The survey asks how much money each school system would request,” Superintendent Dr. Austin Obasohan said. “I believe the school board requested $20 million for the construction or renovation of the high school.”
Right now the survey is nothing more than a measuring point of how much Alabama schools want, but it could turn into much more.
The school system believes if there is actually enough money to go around to all schools, the state would allot the money.
Neither the Selma school board nor Obasohan knew how the information would be used if statewide schools wanted more than the dollars would provide.
“The information on the survey did not state if it would be used to make a list of systems in the most need,” Obasohan said. “My hope is that if there is not enough money for everyone, then we would go through an application process to establish just how much we need a new or renovated high school.”
Board president Ben Givan agreed with Obasohan, saying the possible money coming in would be a huge help for the project.
“My hope is whatever we decide to do, whether it is building a school or renovating, that the mayor and city council would be supportive of our plan,” Givan said. “I hope ultimately that we can have every school in Selma be a magnet school. I don’t care if I’m not here to see it myself, but I think it would be the best. We’ll have to have the community and board come together to make it happen, but we can do it.”
At City Hall during a Selma City Council work session about a proposed bond issue, Councilman the Rev. B.L. Tucker said he wanted $1 million set aside in the bond issue for the school system.
“I just want them to have it if they need it,” Tucker said.
Mayor Evans said the school system already receives an ample amount of money from the city. “I’m sure they would like to have $1 million just to set aside,” he said.
Two years ago, Volkert & Associates Inc. of Mobile executed an evaluation of Selma High School. The engineering firm estimated renovations of the high school would cost about $20 million and construction of a new high school would cost between $38 million and $40 million.
During the assessment, the firm noted several problems at the high school – underused space, water damage in the auditorium, outdated dressing rooms in the gymnasium, a poorly located cafeteria and a plethora of problems in the east wing, which the engineering firm labeled “dilapidated.”
“We will host a town hall meeting before a decision is made,” Obasohan said. “We want to give the community and children what they want.”
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Comments
Posted by nowhining (anonymous) on July 10, 2009 at 3:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I still feel that the school system should treat this money like it is their personal money. Could you go out and buy a new home, that cost twice as much as it would take to repair your old one, and not have any plans of selling the old one??? That is what you want the taxpayers to do with the school. We all want our children to be in a safe, nice school, but can we afford to do this???
Posted by eyeonyou (anonymous) on July 10, 2009 at 10:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Here are some hypotheticals:
1) What sound econmic plan has been developed to assume a $40 million dollar new school in a town that has one of Alabama's highest unemployment rates and poverty rates?
2) Where will the location of a new $40 million dollar school be?
3) What process will the City School Board use to develop blue prints, locations, budgets, contractors, fed-state-city money involvement? For a school board that is involved in divisive behaviour, belligerent decision making and incompetence....looks like a major task.
4) Can Selma citizens assume anymore taxes based on this national economic crises which inturn effects Selma's sky high unemployent rates, lack of school funding from governement, lack of local business taxes to generate a sound budget, etc.? Are the citizens willing to sacrifice or ABLE to assume more taxes?
5) Will this new school create the betterment of education on the INSIDE?
I have proposed these questions due to the lack of answers from the school board, city of Selma and new school sdvocates.
Posted by eyeonyou (anonymous) on July 10, 2009 at 1:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Waiting..........
Posted by mccrary36703 (anonymous) on July 10, 2009 at 3:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Squirk:
This is what you are saying. The students at Selma High School do not deserve a new school because they are a bunch of low life students that come from a rat hole environment that cannot improve their life. Your statement reads " Old Parrish High would then become another Good Sam hospital with broken windows, overgrown landscape, and a haven for the homeless and the crackheads". Now that is just terrible. The students deserve better then this comment. First of all Selma High is behind in technology. Our students deserve better equipment in their school. Our children at Selma High is not respondsible for their environment. Their parent's are. They do the best with what they have. Every parent cannot send their children to Central High where their student's are not require to take the graduration exam, which I think is very ugly. That is what I here about that school. So in essence Mr. or Mrs, Miss, or Ms, you have no room to degrade the students at Selma High because one of those students may be your grandchildren, great grandchildren president some day.
Posted by nbamanate (anonymous) on July 10, 2009 at 5:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Just from reading the above comments I can tell that these people don't have children attending this school. Some of the things that are wrong with SHS can't be remodeled or patched up. The reason the school is in the shape that it is in now is because the money was not there to make the necessary repairs when they were needed and by what these people are saying if the money is not avalable our children will continue to suffer. I attended SHS in the early 70's and there haven't been much improvement since then. I grew-up in Selma having to use hand me down from Parrish High and the other white schools. I think it is time for our children to have a school that they can be proud of.
Posted by mrbrown (anonymous) on July 10, 2009 at 9:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I tend to agree with nbamanate's and mccrary36703's point that most of the people disagreeing with funding a new high school children do not attend public school, well at least Selma High. This is a unique situation that I've only witnessed in Selma and a few other places. One half of the citizens do not want their taxes increased for something that does not benefit their children.
I guess I have a different perspective of looking at things, being that for years I lived in military towns where all kids attended public schools; no matter the race. Parents didn't send kids to another school district miles away or any of the other crazy things I've witnessed people do around here.
However, it's their choice. As the saying goes, "I fought for you to have the right to do what you're doing". So who am I to say that they don't have the right to send their children to other school systems. However, give the public school kids a chance. I've witnessed the same people saying we don't need, can't afford, shouldn't do this turn around and say nothing good ever will come from this/that. Just give it a chance.
Posted by mrbrown (anonymous) on July 10, 2009 at 9:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"Any new school would be subjected to abuse, graffiti, and destructive behavior almost immediately." "Are the citizens willing to sacrifice or ABLE to assume more taxes?" That the same attitude that the Veterans Adminstration had concerning veterans. We see where that went.
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