posted by Joe Polk at 11:09 AM /
From a postcard received in the mail yesterday....
Mt. Lebanon High School Renovation Project Community Workshop
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
7:00 - 9:30 PM
Mt. Lebanon High School North Gym
Residents are encouraged to attend a second planning workshop for the high school renovation on November 14 at 7:00 PM in the North Gym. The workshop will provide individuals and small groups an opportunity to respond to a series of planning options. Educational facility planner Dr. William DeJong will facilitate the workshop. All information will be shared with the community at www.mtlsd.org.
Mt. Lebanon High School Renovation Project Community Workshop
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
7:00 - 9:30 PM
Mt. Lebanon High School North Gym
Residents are encouraged to attend a second planning workshop for the high school renovation on November 14 at 7:00 PM in the North Gym. The workshop will provide individuals and small groups an opportunity to respond to a series of planning options. Educational facility planner Dr. William DeJong will facilitate the workshop. All information will be shared with the community at www.mtlsd.org.
6 Comments:
This is really, really, really important to the entire Community. If you can come please do.
While we agree that the renovation project is important, after attending the first session and receiving the Dejong draft of that session we're left to wonder as to when and how really substantial dialogue will begin.
Following is an excerpt from an article in American School Board Journal (June 2003) addressing school construction and planning.
Detours in the history of school construction
By Robbin M. Rittner-Heir
New math and open classrooms were among the educational buzzwords of the 1960s and '70s, ranking right up there with peace, love, and "flower power." And they lasted about as long. But while new math dissolved into the education ether, open classrooms remain. Even though educators quickly discovered that a communal setting is not conducive to student learning, districts that built open classroom schools are stuck with an architectural pink elephant.
As facilities across the nation age -- the average school building is 42 years old, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers -- districts are faced with not just one, but a small herd of pink elephants. Flat roofs, glass-block windows, multiple pathways in and out of buildings: All of these things drain budgets, present safety issues, and divert funds from where they should be spent -- on the education of students.
It seems to us that there are two separate issues. Number 1-- the present building- do we refurbish or build new and number 2-- as Mr. Rittner-Heir says, "the education of students."
While there is a definite correlation between the two, it is doubtful that anyone can envision educating our kids over the next thirty years. Evaluating curriculum and teaching should be an ongoing process. So far, according to results MTLSD has done a good job.
As for the facility, it too has served us well. Under the topic of school space, one item mentioned in the workshop is #14. remodel the old campus into more of a college campus. How will this workshop evaluate the value of these items. Bethel Park is now in the process of tearing down their college campus, it seems to be an educational and economic "pink elephant." How will we decide?
We attended the 2nd workshop and find it to be one-sided. Dejong presented 4 concepts for the attendees to voice an opinion on.
Option A- spend $30-50 million to renovate the existing structure, Op B spend $100-120 million to build new and C and D, some composite of A and B.
While on the surface this may appear to be an unbiased polling of community opinion, the results of the poll makes no attempt to analyse the polled audience. By my account, it appeared to be 50% administration/staff/teachers and 50% residents present. Without a corresponding analysis of the respondents-- hardly a random sampling of the community-- the results of the session poll should be taken worth a grain of salt.
There is a poll at www.yoursouthhills.com under the heading "Is the Mt. Lebanon High School in need of renovation/new high school?" which shows conflicting numbers to the session poll. Guess which one the district will present to the community and use to progress on the project!
We just finished the two day session on the Educational Specifications. The process was excellent for what it was designed to accomplish. The next step will be for DeJong to compile all the information, add in his firm's expertise, sprinkle in a little reality and report out to the School Board. I would expect to see something in January '07.
DeJong's deliverable is an Educational Specifications report. After the report is received, the School Board will determine what to do next. There is still a substantial amount of work to be done and discussions to take place before ANY major decisions are made.
I for one look forward to DeJong compliation. Hopefully, after community analysis of that complilation, reception of questions, white papers, findings and professional public sector input will be more graciously received by district administrative/teaching personnel than it was at the evening sessions!
As an example, at one table discussion, I asked just what is involved in the $30-50 million (option A) renovation and how did they arrived at that estimate. After all a variance of $20 million for just one option out of the 4 is quite a range. If I'm going to answer a poll, I'd like some info.
Never got an answer or even, "hey that's a good question, let's inquire!" The discussion immediately segued to - "you have no idea how deplorable the working environment is at the H.S," by the school staff or their relatives present and in the majority at the table.
Hardly, fair, open dialogue.
Am I the only one that is concerned that the Mt. Lebanon School Directors and the Mt. Lebanon Commissioners are not speaking to one another?
Since the School Board broke a "Gentleman's Agreement" with the Commissioners in September, there seems to be animosity on both sides. The Gentleman's Agreement regarding property had been in effect for over 25 years and the School Directors broke the Agreement without even calling the Commissioners to ask their opinion or for some feedback.
How can the School Board be trusted to make decisions about a new or renovated High School if they can't even communicate with the Mt. Lebanon Commissioners?
Mt. Lebanon could end up with a HUGE WAVE POOL and a BRAND NEW HIGH SCHOOL all in the same 1-2 year period.
I am not opposed to either project, but I am certainly opposed to public officials that don't speak to one another!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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