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Steve Macy: Say yes for our kids

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Comments

Momohunt

Yes.

Michael

Education needs to be supported as the future. I vote yes.

kona

Yes, education needs to be supported as the future, but the talking point, "Mac High enrollment is currently at 2,200. Olsen said the $89.4 million bond would add enough space to increase Mac High’s capacity to about 2,800. And enrollment isn’t expected to reach that level for another 30 years, he said.", needs to be discarded. What prudent person or organization would spend that kind of money for a structure that won't reach capacity for 30 years? That statement alone will bring "no" votes. That is equivalent of paying substantial overhead costs every year until it approaches capacity.

Joel2828

If you haven't been inside the high school in a while, I would recommend you go there sometime while they are in session. The place is an absolute chaotic mess. Far too many students to be crammed into such a small space. What we need is a new high school.
Bond measures like this do nothing but prolong the misery while we wait for the powers that be to muster up the courage to get a new high school built.

Jim

Joel I can't agree with you more. Why throw away money on a project that is so inadequate now. They can't address the pressing problems of parking and lack of athletic fields on such a small acreage. If we put more money into that structure we are fools. We need to build a new structure that meets all the needs of our youth. For double the money we can build new and have very little maintenance for years to come. The high school in most towns is a center piece and ours looks like it's right out of the 50's. One class in this school will get to have four years of construction while they are trying to get an education. Doesn't seem fair. Do what is really right and build a new school.

Joel2828

Thanks Jim. Glad I'm not alone in my opinion on this.
I can't imagine being a teacher or administrator trying to get anything constructive done in that zoo of 2,200 students. Why put more lipstick on a pig? Just get the new one built. If we have to pay more in taxes so be it. I'm a conservative that loathes paying taxes but when it is something like this that is so obviously needed, I'm willing to pay up.

kona

Joel2828, I have been in the "high school in a while". It is not a "chaotic mess" because a lack of building structures. Our high school science classes are one student per class below the state average (at 24 per class). Our high school English classes are one student above the state average (at 25 students per class). We are not "cramming students in such a small space". Our high school per square foot is no more congested than it has ever been since it was built in the 1950s and expanded several times. A new high school was voted down by the voting citizens of School district 40.

Jim

Everybody has got their opion Kona but maybe the bond for a new school was not presented right or the timing wasn't right. I agree with Joel in the crowding. How would you like to pick your children up from soccer at 9:00 at night because of the lack of practice fields or walk 5 or 6 blocks to a play in the auditorium in a pouring rain because of the lack of parking. These are problems that need to be addressed.

kona

Jim, I appreciate your comments. The hardships you present for high school kids are not that bad, are they? I went to that school. I walked to school every day (unheard of now for many kids these days) and it didn't hurt any of us. I walked home from football, basketball and baseball practice every day. Yes, some had cars but not many. The parking lot is easily large enough to accommodate all who attend plays or events at the auditorium. I have gone to sporting events when other events are going on at the school and have had to walk a couple of blocks, but that's life. You don't spend a 150$million for a new school just to accommodate peak loads that might occur periodically.

You "agree about the crowding". The "crowding" is not any different than almost all other high schools. McMinnville High School is considerably less "crowded" than Newberg High School and Forest Grove High School. I can give you comparisons with any other high school you might be interested.

kona

Additionally, McMinnville High School is less crowded (smaller class sizes) than Lake Oswego, Corvallis, West Linn, Tigard, Beaverton, Sherwood, Dallas and Central. These are all districts of similar size as McMinnville. The "overcrowding" is not realistically supported by facts.

Jim

Kona you addressed over crowding by statistics. Now give me the statistics on 1 baseball field for 3 levels of baseball. Field not on campus. 1 football field for 3 programs. 1 practice field for soccer for six programs. All the fall sports playing on the same field. When you walked to school there were more fields and less than half the kids. The band doesn't have enough space for the number of students. Drama has the same auditorium when my kids went to school 25 years ago with 1/3 less students. Locker rooms under the football stadium that I wouldn't shoe my horses in and locker rooms in the school that I am embarrassed to let people from other towns have to see. Show me statistics on those things.

kona

A new high school will most likely not happen (it was voted down). The Long Range Facilities Task Force, comprised of citizens, school board members and district leadership has not recommended construction of a new high school. Are your suggestions the primary reason for spending $150 million for a new high school? Baker field can be utilized much more efficiently starting with removing/relocating the district office and parking as being considered.

Drama has more than adequate space. How many students are in band? I don't know. I haven't been in the locker room under the stadium for a few years. I'll take your word that it isn't fit for horses (could that be an exaggeration?). What is "embarrassing" about the locker rooms in the gym?


kona

This was the selling point for the new high school construction only eight years ago (Apr 24, 2007). During the last eight years, enrollment has only increased about 150-200 students.

"The Mac High additions are being designed with the future in mind, Horner said. They need to provide not only more space, but also accommodate the way programs will be delivered four or five decades from now. "But this is the first one designed for the long haul," he said

Adding 30 classrooms on the existing campus proved much cheaper, because the main campus already has a gym, library, commons, lab and office facilities, and all of the necessary heating, cooling, ventilation, electrical and plumbing infrastructure."

Jim

Kona I didn't see one statistic to answer anything or an answer on where all these athletes are supposed to practice. I also don't have a clue where you came up with $150 million for a new school. The locker rooms in the school probably haven't been updated in 35 years and the freshman class doesn't fit in the auditorium so I guess we have lots of room. The wrestling room has room for 20 kids,no ventilation and hasn't been upgraded for 25 years so I'm sure it's fine too. I want to do what is right for kids and I am done making points.

kona

Jim, a new high school is not in the picture. It is not proposed and will not be presented to the voters. the $150 million cost of a new small high school naturally has come from estimates. The original proposal in 2006 fixed the cost at $96 million. The $150 million reflects increases in construction/specifications costs at 5.5 percent per year. Those increases make the approximate cost of the new small high school at about $150 million. Of course no one would no for sure exactly how much it would be.

As for where the "all these athletes will practice", more efficient use of Baker Field and adjusting time schedules for practice is the best approach. This is nothing new. The swimming pool is off campus and we have produced excellent swim teams for decades. The soccer teams have done very well with our soccer situation. Our tennis teams have done very well despite off campus courts. Our baseball teams have done very well with our present baseball situation. It requires some flexibility for everyone involved. It is that way in almost every high school in the state. The weight room is terrific and something that was unheard of only a couple decades in the past. The locker rooms are a tremendous upgrade from what was available in years past at Baker field when McMinnville had one of the best football programs in the state.

What is your suggestion besides building a new high school which won't happen for decades?

kona

I apologize for the misspelled words. Wish this forum had an edit feature.

Jim

Kona if we start practices for sports at around noon in the fall we should be done by 7:00 pm. The weight room is really nice if you had 800 kids in the school. The locker rooms in the stadium were nice in 1960. The teams that have done well in sports have done so because their parents have hauled them all over the state to practices and camps and games so they could compete in high school. We might get a new school built with community support.

kona

1) What would you propose doing with the existing high school?

2) What location would you propose for the "new big high school"?

3) The cost of what you are suggesting would be about $250-300 million. Do you realistically think anyone would vote for that?

4) What would you propose to do with the Hill Road property?

kona

Having had this discussion, I'll probably vote for the bond measure.

Mudstump

It is good to know that the taxpayers back in 1956 felt that future generations in McMinnville deserved the best education possible. It sounds like the high school has served the community well. I don't know if a new school is needed or if repairs and additions will do the trick, but I do know that we should be grateful that people before us weren't so selfish as to only think of themselves. Is it time to pay it forward?

kona

Mudstump, what do you mean, "so selfish as to only think of themselves"? Is it "selfish" to vote "no"? Would it be "selfish" if the price were $100 Million, or $200 Million or $300 Million? Would you vote "yes" regardless of the amount? There are some who would, so you wouldn't be alone.

Jeb Bladine

Just for historic reference: The high school was built and operated for several years as a junior high -- I went to 7th grade there. Then it was converted to a high school, and the old high school became our junior high.

That said, here's what I think changed the minds of many who at one time advocated building a second high school. Building a second high school would cost about 55% more money than the current plan, and the end result would be two substandard high schools because their smaller size -- about 1,000 students each -- would limit curriculum availability and standards in both schools.

Thus, for reasons of current development costs and future quality of education, citizens who researched and recommended the current plan felt McMinnville should keep MHS students in one facility until such time as the city would support full-service high schools.

Jim

Jeb I don't think anyone is ready for two high schools. In this remodel project the auditorium,parking,athletic fields and many more problems aren't being addressed but being swept under the rug. A lot of this project is second story on old construction which is about three times the price of new construction. I believe that there is a large part of our community that would like a large new high school built for 2800 kids under one roof. It's not time to split schools but definitely build a new large school.

Jeb Bladine

Jim,
I'm a little late on this response, but for the record, I agree with you that a new school would be better. The existing MHS might be converted in the future to some other school or community facility. Problem is, those making this decision have to guess whether voters would pull the lever on a $140 million price tag that would raise taxes considerably from current levels.

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