While attending public committee meetings of the New Hope-Solebury School Board may not be everyone’s top priority, Monday night’s meeting is of significance, as the facilities committee will be discussing, choosing and recommending a controversial multimillion-dollar revitalization plan for the school district’s West Bridge Street campus.
The project will affect the direction, security, effectiveness and budget of school district for years to come, and New Hope and Solebury residents are urged to attend and let their voices be heard on this important strategic plan.
Of lesser significance but potential interest at the Monday night meeting is discussion of a lease agreement with the owners of the proposed Odette’s boutique conference center to lease space at the high school to valet park future patrons, and a potential contract with the Geese Chasers franchise, which apparently uses trained Border Collies to clear geese from open areas.
The facilities committee meeting will held at 6:30 p.m. in the District Conference Room at 180 W. Bridge St.
Why a new high school gym is totally unnecessary.The argument pushed by committee chairman,Jon Adar, revolves around his declaration that the district was in DIRE need for a large multipurpose area for meetings, workshops etc.His plan is to use the middle school gym for that purpose,while having the middle school students use the present high school gym. And thus the “need ” for a new high school gym for the high school students. Rebuttal: The district ALREADY has several large multipurpose areas. Approx. a 5,000 square foot high school library which is closed every school day at 4 pm, middle school and high school cafeterias and the 400 seat theater.If Mr. Adar, and the administrators want to get a real definition of Dire, they should just a day in the Philadelphia school system, especially the AD who laments the fact that the high school gym is not large enough for two teams to practice at the same time even though there are three gyms available after school.Then the middle school and high school principals lament the fact that since we are a small district scheduling is tough. They declare that they must have three classes in the gym at the same time. My response to that is taken from a book written by Judge Judy- “Don’t Pee on My Leg and Tell Me It’s Raining.” Having the gyms unoccupied 50% of the time is totally unacceptable.By the way, if you were at the meeting it was quite a sight with the committee members sitting around the table one by on trying to justify a new gym was like the Old Wild West with wagon trains in a circle trying to protect themselves from the Indians. No Indians this time, Just community members such as my self firing arrows into their argument.
To pay for the gym and for several other “Wants” NOT “Needs” to satisfy an insatiable ego,the school board wants to get a $36,000,000 dollar bond and thus by-pass a referendum -the will of the people who would say NO! If the costs come under #36 million and I am sure they will, the Board and Supt. Boccuti will stick out their collective chests and declare.”Look at that! We are fiscally brilliant, because we saved the community X amount of dollars.” Also,money”saved” will be “transferred” into a Capital Improvements” account to be used at the discretion of the district- play money, pet projects- not needs, but wants.Like a little kid who goes into toy store and becomes hysterical when his -“I want this and I want that” is denied by his parents. The next segment-“Why a new gym is totally unnecessary.