Closing old schools, building a new one
December 13, 2011 at 1:29 pm in Grand Forks Herald
Members of a Grand Forks School District task force on Tuesday studied eleven scenarios that define the impact of redrawing school boundaries or closing schools. Scenarios still under consideration include those calling for a new south end school and closure of Lewis and Clark, West and Wilder elementary schools in Grand Forks and Carl Ben Eielson at Grand Forks Air Force Base. Continue Reading
Given the school district’s love for the south side, a love demonstrated by building their offices there, my bet is in 15 years they’ll be building schools just outside of Thompson.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
27 
8
On one hand I guess what they’re saying makes sense. I mean if Wilder in particular doesn’t have a very big draw because so many are putting their kids into schools closer to things like grandparents homes or daycare where they have another child, then it is a costly endeaver…..But considering how that will effect the north end for attracting families I’m not so sure that’s really a fair solution….I mean if the reason they don’t either draw districs to include more households for the Wilder school and the reason they don’t want to get a bit tougher and have people keep their childern in their own distric is because it would create some hardships…….Then what about all those families effected by losing a close school who will have to ship their childern to a school much further then their own neighborhood? How is it that their hardships from this is of less value than those who aren’t keeping their childern in their won districts today?
You can’t continue to abandon the north end without consequences. Eventually the north end will become less and less valued for home sales and eventually we could see real urban decay….Of course I guess the movers and the shakers might look at something like that and think….”Finally…We’re really becoming a city” I don’t know about you….But I’d rather see Forks remain a fairly safe and livable environment throughout…..Taking out schools is not the way to maintain that….
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
40 
1
The North has already been abandoned. Remember when the Potato Bowl parade went down University Avenue? No more. The movers and shakers determined it had to be downtown, because they were trying to resurrect it. Houses are now bought up and turned into student residences. I’m surrounded by about 10 of them…no K-12 kids there, nor will there ever be. The North gets the noise of the races, and that’s about it.
Like or Dislike:
18 
5
Have you driven around the trailer park at the far end of University and around through 6th Ave N lately ? O.M.G. This is the park where our esteemed councilman Terry Bjerke’s lives. It looks like H _ _ L ! ! ! Half the trailers are abandoned and unfit for habitation.
Like or Dislike:
10 
1
Hasn’t the Potato Bowl Parade always been downtown. It was 35-40 years ago. I remember walking from my house by Central Park to downtown to watch the parade. That was the mid to late 70′s.
Like or Dislike:
4 
2
Another thing we need to look at is the ratio of students to teachers and vice-versa. Time and time again it has been proven that smaller classroom numbers are better for everyone — both students and teachers. The benefits of keeping smaller schools open far outweighs what people might consider “downfalls” of doing so. I’d much rather that my children be taught in a classroom with fewer students knowing that there will be fewer distractions that can “sabotage” a student’s academic understanding and success and a greater level of individualized help from teachers, not to mention a decreased risk of teachers becoming stressed out earlier in the school year which can negatively impact everyone in the classroom.
Like or Dislike:
1 
1
Obviously Gene DuBois hasn’t spent much time in the Riverside or Near North Neighborhoods. I don’t know of any UND student rentals here, in fact, there is a push here to change rental housing back into single family housing. There has also been a significant demographic shift, with a large increase in young families and couples purchasing houses. The 2012 Census data backs this up. The number of Pre-K children continues to increase. When it is given the opportunity, Wilder will thrive.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
18 
1
Sorry, I meant to say 2010 Census Data.
Like or Dislike:
7 
0
Riverside is far enough away from UND not to attract students at this point.
Like or Dislike:
11 
0
We put a lot of effort into stopping the whole sale conversion of single family housing into student rentals, and in fact in my north neighborhood (near Univeristy Park/West Elementary) we have seen a significant revival of moderately priced family housing. I prefer the mixed residential feel of the north side vs the suburban like treeless housing complex of the far south. Neighborhood schools are an important fixture in the north neighborhoods, they were a draw for many of the people living there. People who moved into the south end knew there were no schools and would have to transport thier kids when they moved in down there, people who moved into north neighborhoods knew there were local schools and in many cases their kids could walk to school.
Also, the Herald stated in an earlier story that the task force looked at Century as the southernmost elementary school. Which kind of blows someones credibility. Century is on 17th Av S and on the west end of the city. Most of the growth appears more south and east of Century, which ends up being pretty close to Kelley.
I don’t really want to pay more in taxes for a new school while closing a school near my house which will lower my resale.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
26 
0
Someones kid: You are correct that physically Century is not the southernmost school, however, in the case of district boundaries it is. It reaches from Demers to beyond 62nd Ave. So. where as Kelly stops at 62nd. I don’t want to pay more in taxes either, but no matter what decision they make, people will be mad, sad, disappointed. The school district is in a no-win situation right now; close schools, build new ones, move ELL students, don’t move them (creating segregation), just re-district, I don’t envy them…the only way to be sure your voice is heard is to keep going to meetings, biggest one is a public forum in January. Parents at Century were told decisions would be made to move 1/2 ELL kids & kire a new teacher by March, I know they will be at the January meeting, you should be too because no one will fight for your kids education like you.
Like or Dislike:
9 
0
Boundaries are meaningless, they are what the district needs to redraw, what people are concerned about is the physical location and Kelly is the southernost school,it is also just off of Washington and alot of the new southerly growth is close to Washington so Kelly isn’t that far away.
Besides, the District’s consultant, Worner recommends building a new Large School where ALL of the children are transported either by parent or bus so location isn’t going to be all that much of an issue.
And finally if the complaint is that the peolpe down south have to transport their kids, what do you think is going to happen to people in the north who chose a neighborhood with a local school, when they close the north schools and now people from the north areas have to transport their kids. Its a no win situation, except we chose a neighborhood with a local school. So the North enders loose more, the South enders never had a school to loose.
Like or Dislike:
7 
1
I’m not sure I completely understand what you are saying however, your us vs. them, north vs. south attitude is very off-putting and disappointing. I moved into the house I am in because of the proximity to a school…now I am hoping like heck that the school board will make a decision that will benefit ALL students, not just my kids. I’m also wondering what defines a neighborhood school? Almost every other house in my neighborhood has a child at our school, so it is OUR neighborhood school, just because over 500 kids go there, doesn’t make it any less of a neighborhood school, sorry. And possibly if the children in the neighborhood of Wilder would go to their neighborhood school, they would be in jeopardy of losing it.
Like or Dislike:
1 
2
threed, Didn’t mean to imply that any school was not a neighborhood school, and I sincerely hope that all elementary schools strive to maintain a strong sense of community among all of the families that attend that school regardless if they live close by or are trucked in from far away. I wish the segregation word would not be used for the ELL students, ELL is a program for children in need and as such it really can’t be spread throughout the district (Maybe doesn’t need to be in Century, but it needs to be somewhere) I am against the idea of closing a School on the north end just to be able to build a new school on the south end (that does pit north against south). I am against the idea of building a super sized elementary school just to save money on the physical plant, schools should serve students. I am against the idea of closing schools without a clear plan for continued use of the building as there will be a significant cost to such a closure. Not sure about all of the schools but I have done considerable research on the fate of West Elementary, it is located in a residential zone and as such it can only be used as a public school (or possibly a library) it cannot be converted to an apartment or any other non school use, so is it just abandoned in place? demolished for single family housing? at what cost? I fully suppport redrawing boundaries and communicating with parents to fully utilize the facilities that we have.
Like or Dislike:
3 
1
Thank you for the clarification, I think you and I are on the same page, I was just having a hard time understanding it before, but I agree with you. Ultimately the school board needs to communicate betetr so parents know what is going on, the task force has ALL of the necessary information to make a decision and so the community stands behind them. I am sorry for the use of the word segregation, I completely understand the purpose of the ELL program, having said that I feel as though it could be being handled better or differently. If you listen to Jody Thompson, Dr. Nyladh, and to parents (myself included) it is a great thing to have ELL students around our kids…but why only Century kids? Shouldn’t all kids in Grand Forks reap the benefits of learning from these children? Really what it boils down to is the school board making some serious, hard decisions and following through with them. Like I said before, no matter what happens people will be upset. Your last sentence is my favorite, I couldn’t agree with you more and hopefully they will do that.
Like or Dislike:
1 
1
6 1/2 years ago we bought a southend home in an affordable housing development. I was pregnant at the time, and naively thought that by the time my first child was ready for school a new southend school would be in place. Now that child attends Century, which is 4 miles from our house. A couple years ago I sent a letter to School Board Memebers urging them to look into the issue – not just for my own benefit, but for all the families south of 32nd and west of Washington with young children (and there are a lot). Only a couple replied, but only to say, thanks for the input but we have no plans to build a southend school. I know it was probably a stretch to expect a school to be in place, but what I can’t believe is that there has been NO action taken to get the ball rolling.
I had to laugh the other week when Century had “walk to school day.”
Like or Dislike:
9 
12
At the 2010 School District Public Forum. The hundreds of citizens who attended were surveyed on what they thought should be the facility project priorities of the district. 76% of participants said that building a new elementary school is not a priority or is a low priority (Source: Long-Term Planning Process Report Public Forum 2010 Page 67). Of the 10 potential facility projects listed on the survey, participants ranked building a new elementary school as the lowest priority item.
Like or Dislike:
8 
0
Enrollment for elementary schools is up this year, census data shows this will continue. Closing a school during a time of growth is irrational. We may need a new south end school, but we still need healthy north end schools….and there is a lot the school district can do to ensure ALL elementary schools are healthy and viable.
Like or Dislike:
9 
0
Why is it that people from the South end of GF believe they are owed a neighborhood school? I live in the South end and can’t believe how many people feel it is a right to have a school close to their home. The fact is, the GFPS must provide a “free” education regardless of location. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but if the school board chooses to close Wilder, I’ll be very disappointed when they fork out the money to build a South end school. Seems like a double standard to me.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
24 
1
We want one for the same reason everyone else wants a school in their neighborhood!
When the north folks want them its okay, but when the south folks want them it’s not? I don’t understand the logic.
Like or Dislike:
6 
10
When was the last time a new school was built on the North End?
Like or Dislike:
11 
0
NO. The only way to get a south school is to close North Schools. The North end doesn’t want new schools, we already have them and we don’t want to loose something. So it is not a case of:
“When the north folks want them its okay, but when the south folks want them it’s not?”
Its a case of the South wants to take established north end schools away from us so they can have one down south.
Like or Dislike:
11 
0
The south end needs a new elementary school. Why is South Middle school way out there? It only makes sense to have the schools where the children are. If the distrct lines are redone, every kid in this town will have to head north to go to school. The population of the town continues to shift south, as does everything else(stores, restaurants, banks…) It’s I don’t see why the school board can’t keep Wilder open and build a new school. The town population has grown 15% since the last elementary school was built. I say it’s time for another one.
Like or Dislike:
3 
12
The overarching problem is that this issue is being set up as “North versus South.” It doesn’t have to be. Any decision will affect all of Grand Forks, whether in taxes or larger class sizes. We’re not in a budget crisis — quite the opposite — so why is this issue being presented as either/or? Why not keep north end schools open AND build a south end school?
Like or Dislike:
6 
2
It’s clear what the solution for GF is. They need to tear down half of the schools and build two brand new ones with a bunch of ridiculous, worthless bells and whistles for $400 million. It worked for Duluth, it can work for GF. Oh wait…
Like or Dislike:
8 
0
The school district needs to consider the families in the community more than its own desires. It is very clear that families desire neighborhood schools versus the alternative [and much less desirable] re-routing of children to schools outside of their neighboorhood.
The school board must also consider the opinions of city officials as well. While the school board has only its own desires at heart, it is the officials of the community/city who have the whole community and the families who reside within its boundaries at heart.
The school board cannot take these things lightly or selfishly. It needs to take time to listen to families — not just parents, but the children who attend the schools as well. I’m quite certain that the children who attend the schools that are being considered for closure will tell the Board that they love their school, their teachers, and being able to walk to and from school. Parents feel the same way, but will add that re-structuring of school districts will create an inconvenience for most parents and also add a financial burden as the result of having to resort to commuting their children to and from schools outside of their neighborhoods.
The school board better consider adding school bus routes in town if they plan on re-structuring school districts. They’d better also have plans for each building that will be abandoned due to closures. It is not thinking about how its actions will impact the community as a whole and that it will impact families both within and outside of school districts that are being considered for closure — those at the schools being considered for closure and those at schools that are being considered for an increase in enrollment as the result of closures of other schools.
Like or Dislike:
4 
1
Typical.
The School Board has RAPED the citizens of Grand Forks so many times. We were told that Red River had to be “improved”, and we got green domes and flying buttresses, along with useless decorations and frills in the hallways. Years later, we needed a new Red River Theater (like we needed to put a power drill to the side of our heads.)
Of course, anytime GF wastes money on Red River “improvements”, we have to waste a “separate but equal” amount on Central, to keep the north/south rivalry in check. (Or do we “improve” Central, then waste money on Red River? Hard to tell.)
The school board is every bit as bad as the City Council for finding new and different ways to screw the taxpayers.
Closing existing schools then buying a new school somewhere else is ecologically unsound, a waste of farmland, a waste of tax money, a waste of fuel and infrastructure to provide “busing” of the students, and creates MORE un-occupied buildings; something we have plenty of already. Seems we’ve already decided to not renovate an old school into a Library; and the buildings and locations wouldn’t be suited to housing a slew of new restaurants that could rotate in-and-out of business with the changing of the seasons.
Far as I’m concerned, the school “capacity” figures cited in the Herald are as suspect as the financial reports of the Civic Center. HOW are the capacity figures derived? What was the ACTUAL ENROLLMENT at Viking and other elementary/secondary schools in the ’60′s and early ’70′s?
I believe the capacity figures and enrollment projections are being manipulated to “prove” that we need to blow multi-millions on yet another grandiose “Taj Mahal” City project. And (if we’re lucky) we’ll be forced to vote on it until it passes, however many times that might take (just as what happened with the Civic Center.) Otherwise, it’ll be done in secret, behind closed doors like the “Wellness Center”, we won’t know about it until the papers have been signed.
As usual, Grand Forks residents are being deceived by their government.
Just for the record, we’ve been paying off the Civic Center for way more than ten years, and we STILL owe an amount roughly equal to the TOTAL COST we were told the building would cost when we voted on it the last time. In the whole time we’ve been paying off that debt, we’ve essentially done nothing but pay the interest. I’m wondering when we’re going to get hit with “The Civic Center needs to be remodeled”. Economic development, indeed.
Grand Forks is hatefully deep in debt already. I can only imagine how bad it’s going to get if our government isn’t reigned in–and soon.
Like or Dislike:
5 
1