MM: Utz in Favor of School Bond, Edwards Conducts Last Meeting, and Combining a High School and Senior Center
Decatur Metro | October 15, 2015 | 11:03 am
- What’s it to Utz? – Bond vote one of the most important in recent memory [Decaturish]
- Longtime Decatur superintendent conducts last board meeting [AJC]
- More than 130 bands to perform at Oakhurst Porchfest [Atlanta Intown]
- The Ghosts of Ponce de Leon Park [Bitter Southerner]
- 12 Everyday Bottles for Wine Lovers [NYT]
- Why a Boston Suburb Combined Its High School and Senior Center [City Lab]
Ithaca, New York Porchfest photo courtesy of www.porchfest.org
Love the article about how Swampscott MA, a Boston suburb, combined its High School and Senior Center. Given how well Decatur Rec collaborates with CSD, I wonder if something like this could happen at DHS. Admittedly, Swampscott is only a little over half the size of the City of Decatur; ditto for its high school. But I think Decatur could pull it off. Just like some teens have a natural talent at working with little kids, others are great with the elderly.
I love it too. It may be a bit too late in the game, but something like this might appeal to an additional subset of voters when it comes to the bond referendum vote in November, if it was/could be worked in.
Good idea. I know some have voiced resentment about the “new” Performing Arts Center and athletic facilities and field not usually being available for community use. Given maintenance and security issues, and the fact that students are minors, I understand CSD’s hesitation. But I bet joint DHS/Decatur Rec Senior activities would work well in an off site facility or one located on the edge, vs. the middle, of campus. Students love the education courses and internships in CSD schools and the Frasier Center–maybe its time for an elder care track too. That would be innovative (and self-serving since we all end up as elders eventually!) And if such a thing already exists and I just never knew about it because no family members over the age of 10 ever tell me anything…..my bad!
I would feel a lot better voting yes on the bond referendum if the new supt had been involved in the planning. Several months ago there was talk about innovative and less expensive ideas to add capacity such as renting the APS building in East Lake. Then that went away and now it’s buy land to build two schools (K-3 and 4-5). I don’t doubt that we need to borrow money to address the growing enrollment, but I think $75M is too much.
On a related note, I too like the article about the HS/Sr Center Combo. That is exactly the kind of thing we need to consider for our facilities because we should expect to continue to see fluctuations in school age population. This kind of flexible use provides options for space that will otherwise sit vacant when school population drops (like DHS from 1990-2005 when there was enough excess space to house whole elementary schools).