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What is the plan for rebuilding schools?
10/21/2009 6:42 AM by John M
The on&off plan to build/rebuild city schools has gone through a number of permutations over the past 5 years. George Mason Elementary and Martin Luther King Middle School were usually mentioned as being near the top of any list, but perhaps not any longer. Mayor Jones presented a plan at last night’s school board meeting that emphasizes rebuilding Huguenot High School; the article in the RTD does not mention any other specific schools:
Jones’ administration has made $150 million available for school construction during the next five years. In addition to the high school, the city identified two elementary schools and one middle school to be constructed by 2014; construction would start on the first elementary school by December 2010.
Greetings,
As 7th District School Board Member it was encouraging to see this story as the headline for news. As a long-time resident of the East End I know that there hasn’t been any type of public school built here in the 7th District in over 40 years. We must have a new school built here in the 7th in this first phase. I am very encouraged by the cooperation being modeled by Mayor Jones.
It is essential that with only 150 million we make a strong start. Please as the taxpayers of this city your voices need to be heard. George Mason and MLK were both high on the list in the previous plan which now by the Mayors announcement the School Board must now revisit what schools will be in Phase I or moved to another phase in the process.
The positive energy that is all around the East End can only be enhanced by a new school or schools! This is our time as a community to come together and make our case. Timing is crucial. Our children and future children will deserve facilities that are state of the art education and community centers for all citizens.
Be on the lookout for School Board meetings where you can be involved in this process.
Here’s my
e-mail:dcoleman2@richmond.k12.va.us
Thank you for being an engaged citizen.
Don Coleman
School Board Member
District 7
OK, I am totally confused by this. Didn’t the school board ALREADY go thru the public meeting process on how to spend the City of the Future funds for capital improvements/new construction in our schools?
What is the mayor trying to do with this “new” plan of his? Change what the School Board, with the input of citizens over the past couple years, already decided? Talk about slowing down the process…that’s exactly what it seems like he’s doing.
You folks who follow the politics of this stuff, can you enlighten the rest of us on what’s really going on here? Thanks in advance.
Related:
http://www.oregonhill.net/2009/10/14/richmond-times-dispatch-stimulus-money-to-help-make-schools-energy-efficient/
@CaptitalGal – yes, a few years back, there were several rounds of public meetings where community input was gathered. This seems to throw all of the previous work out of the window.
I too would like to know more about what is going on here and where we stand with new or refurbished schools for the East End.
Can anyone who was at last night’s meeting say if any other schools were mentioned as part of phase 1 of this? Any meeting dates announced?
It’s my understanding that the mayor outlined a plan for 4 new schools by 2014…a new Huguenot HS, two elementaries, and one middle, with the inference that the school board and school administration would make those decisions. I didn’t read that as meaning that the schools master plan had been discarded.
As recently as March, Superintendent Brandon was saying that the first phase of the City of the Future plan has MLK Middle School scheduled for extensive renovations and includes a feasibility study for placing a school in Fulton. Mayor Jones was at this same meeting. Can anyone say if this is still in the works for MLK Middle School and if this is scheduled as part of Phase 1?
Previous versions of the plan included plans to replace George Mason Elementary and Woodville Elementary, renovate and add to Martin Luther King Jr. Middle, and evaluate Bellevue Elementary School for closing. Are any of these still in the works as part of Phase 1?
A new post at examiner.com sure makes it sound like much of the previous plan has been discarded:
Hey, but we got that shiny new downtown opera house open! That’s all that matters right? RIGHT?
The RTD article states:
“The decision on where the elementary schools and middle school would be built rests with the School Board, Jones said.”
Does that not mean that Don Coleman is right in saying that we as taxpayers still have a lot of influence in advocating where these 3 new schools will be built? Don, how can we help you advocate for MLK and George Mason?
I hesitate to ask the following question, since I don’t have children or have ever been to a school board meeting; but why are NEW schools necessary? Can we not renovate the existing foundations? I realize that our schools are in need of major improvements. I just don’t fully understand the need for NEW schools. Since finances in the city are like most others in the country should we not look at options that are more fiscally and environmentally sound. I do know from sources more educated than I in this area there are problems with existing schools in our district but some of those things sound like they can be overcome by renovations.
@10
Interesting question. I also wonder why RPS is interested in adding new school buildings. With a declining student population, I would assume they’d want to close and consolidate high and middle schools.
It was my understanding previously that the new buildings would replace older buildings.
This would be the perfect opportunity to thoughtfully consider how to consolidate under-populated schools and sell the old building and re-purpose them. MLK Middle School should be torn down and that expansive land sold. This site is one where the real estate principal of “highest and best use” is not currently in service. These sales would be revenue to the City to use to modernize schools. Then the buildings and site would become tax revenue for the City, instead of tax exempt. The many uses for that MLK site are exciting just thinking about it!
Two middle school have been closed and merged into Mosby/MLK over the past 5 years – first Minnis and then Chandler. MLK is fairly full of students these days. Both the Minnis and Chandler buildings have been repurposed as specialty schools, with Franklin Military and Community being 2 of RPS’s really shining successes. This has freed up Community’s old building at Libbie and Patterson for *something*.
Other than MLK, there are no other middle schools in the East End. Given that, there is no way that MLK gets torn down without a replacement being built somewhere in the area. Where is there land for another middle school?
I’ll think on that question, and research it. My thought being, besides a better use for the site, a perfect opportunity to build the new “state of the art” facility Don Coleman envisions. Let’s find an alternative site for that!