Speakers Urge Board to Include Public in Facilities Planning

During Open Forum at the school board meeting last night, several people urged the Board and the media to do more to communicate with the public about the plans for Central High School and other changes proposed in the master plan for facilities. Representative Ed McGlaughlin (a former superintendent, mayor and current chair of the House Education Committee) asked the Board to reconsider its decision to move forward with the new design for Central to allow the public more time to understand the proposal. I asked the District, the Rapid City Journal and other members of the media to do more to help the public understand what was in the ten-year plan. Dr. Lindley asked the District to engage the public regarding plans to build a third high school — a technical high school — adjacent to Western Dakota Tech.

There are a number of simple steps that the District and the media could take to help inform the public. For example, although the Journal published a story on April 3 about the proposed renovation, it included only a sketch of the new courtyard entrance. It would be helpful if the paper would print a copy of the plan with an article or even just an exploded diagram explaining what’s on the plan — the ninth grade wing, the new theater, the new science classes, etc.

For its part, the District has posted several sketches showing how the new Central might look and a copy of the plan, but there is no accompanying text to explain to viewers what they are looking at. What are the components of the project? Why is each component being included? What’s the educational need? Etc. This doesn’t have to be long. A page of bullet points would be helpful.

Over the next ten years, the District plans to spend $200 million on facilities. If they follow the thoughtful proposals in the MGT plan, they will close Dakota Middle School, build a new South Middle School, close and consolidate Horace Mann and Wilson elementary into a new school, close Canyon Lake Elementary, build a small but expandable third high school, change attendance boudaries and renovate both Central and Stevens. As Representative McGlaughlin, Dr. Lindley and I tried to say last night, and as the Journal has editorialized, the public needs good information about these projects and needs to be included in the discussion. We can all do more to make sure that happens.