Promoting excellence in education to grow our economy, increase opportunity and enhance the quality of life in Rapid City.
-
Board To Discuss $42 Million Proposal for Central
Posted on July 8th, 2009 1 comment
Preliminary cost estimates for the proposed renovation of Central High School were provided to members of the Board of Education’s Building Committee this week. As reported by the Rapid City Journal, the total cost of the project could go as high as $42 million — a 61 percent increase over the estimates provided by Superintendent Peter Wharton a year ago.
The numbers given to the Building Committee are preliminary, however, and represent conservative estimates based on undertaking all of the changes envisioned in the current architectural plans. Some board members have expressed a desire to see the project slimmed down and have requested budget estimates for alternative approaches to the renovation and for the construction of a 1400-student third high school. Last summer, the Rapid City Journal reported that District officials asserted that the construction of a third high school could cost between $67.7 and $88.1 million.
The Board will hold a special study session to consider the Central renovation project and the issue of high school facilities sometime later this summer. A date for the open study session will be set at the Board’s Annual Meeting scheduled for July 16 at 5:30 p.m. At that meeting, Area 1 representative Arnie Laubach will complete his term. Newly elected member Suzan Nolan will be sworn in to take Laubach’s seat on the Board. Nolan has expressed concern that the public has not had adequate opportunity to comment on the proposed renovation at Central and the relative merits of the various parts of the project.
One response to “Board To Discuss $42 Million Proposal for Central”
-
jodysev July 9th, 2009 at 07:39
Three cheers for the board members who think we should take a look at a third high school, especially now that we are in this price range.
I urge them to think not only in terms of a third building but also in terms of a third approach that creates a “niche” high school excelling in a narrower mission rather than another “one size fits all” all-American we-got-everything cookie cutter.
Maybe it is aimed at college prep for kids who have the smarts to do college but not the background or family support and tradition to make it happen. Maybe it is aimed at taking the best and brightest and launching them to excel at a new and higher, nationally competitive level, like taking kids who if left to the status quo system would get into,say, the University of Minnesota and instead let’s get them into Princeton. Maybe it’s an arts and science school that doesn’t need a football team. (A science high school downwind from the Homestake lab and next to Tech — there’s an idea~!!) Lots of possibilities out there to consider!
If we expand Central to hold 2,000 kids it will soon have 2,500. Time for a different approach, and time to offer kids and their parents some meaningful choices.
Jody
Leave a reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Recent Comments