Should the TVC let Warren back in?

[1974Viking]

they are harder to please than my mother in law![/quote]

fastech, Your last sentence was funny...Thanks for the Laugh.......... You are so right by the way

[mister b]

You heard it hear. I have a friend in Columbus that is a lobbyist and works ALOT with the State Budget. Ohio has 685 school districts - that's alot, but I think rural schools will be some of the last to consolodate. For instance, my Nieces and Nephews go to Waterford - there is NO way the community will ever consolodate with Fort Frye and that would save huge administrative overhead. Furthermore, the plan wouldn't go into place for a few years - 2012 is the talk. The fact of the matter is, I am not sure there is too much to worry about with the Strickland Education plan because at the rate he is going, he will not be Governor long enough to do it. Not only does Ohio need better shcools, but modification of their curriculum standards.

As of this current school year, Ohio has 612 public school districts.

[mister b]

Considering that Nelsonville-York will have new EVERYTHING after this year and the fact that Trimble needs new everything and is loosing students at an alarming rate, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that at some point in the future, the state is going to suggest Trimble and NY consolidate and they will tie school funding to this issue to make it pass among the voters, much as they did back in the '60s when those consolidations all happened.

If you think about it..........NY and Trimble combined today would barely be larger than NY was when Nelsonville and York first consolidated (maybe 200-300 more kids total in 2009 with NY + Trimble than back in 1967 with Nelsonville + York). Yet, NY now has more classrooms after this building project than it ever did back in 1967, but doesn't have nearly as many students as it did back then.

I could see the newly built NY Middle School + the currently being rennovated NY High School becoming the new consolidated high school. I can see the currently NY Elementary school becoming the consolidated junior high school and building a new wing for current NY Elementary on all that acreage the school board owns and then probably the current Trimble High School (built in the 80s) would be rennovated into an elementary school for current Trimble students. The other possibility would be to keep NY Elementary as it is, and build a new consolidated junior high. Either way, I see NY and Trimble consolidated high school as being the current NY High School and newly built NY Middle School. Those two combined would be large enough to house all the high school students.

Trimble is already talking about shutting down their junior high and having all junior high kids go to the high school because they could fit their entire high school and junior high population in the high school now and still have room to spare.

The state is in between a rock and hard place when it comes to education right now and its inevitable that a new round of consolidations is coming.

While your points are well taken, I find it hard to think that the state will consolidate Nelsonville and Trimble into one school district and close down any buildings. The Ohio School Facilities Commission renovated/built new schools in the Trimble district in the late 1990's. I doubt that they will let those tax dollars waste away while buildings sit idle.

The bonds issues for the renovations or new construction for Trimble still have to be paid. My guess is that these bonds are for 30 years. If NY and Trimble would consolidate, then the taxpayers of Nelsonville would assume the Trimble debt and help payoff the Trimble bonds that were issued to fund their construction, even if the buildings were not used while NY pays off their debt on their bonds that were issued for the current renovation/construction at NY. I just don't see this happening.

Now, I COULD see the state consolidate these 2 district into 1 and leave nearly all the buildings open, in both districts, including the high schools. You currently have this with the Southwestern City School District in Columbus, which is made up of 4 different high schools, just to give an example.

Just because 2 or more districts consolidate doesn't mean that any buildings i.e. high schools, will close and kids will be bussed. Especially brand new or very recently renovated buildings.

JMHO.

[NYBuckeye96]

I didn't say it would happen over night. Trimble's bonds would be payed off 20 years from now at the latest.

Also, back in '95, NY passed a bond issue that built the new elementary school and turned Poston Elementary into the middle school by adding rooms onto that school. That bond issue was also for 25-30 years, and the Poston Middle School opened in 1997, yet this is the final year that building will be used. NY plans to sell that building after this school year because all of the students will be on one campus starting next year.

So NY still has around 15 years to pay off the additions on the Poston building, yet will not be using that building any more after this year. Last I heard, Hocking College had expressed an interest in buying that building, but I don't know if they are still interested now or not. At either rate, that building will either be sold or abandoned after June 2010.

All of Trimble's facilities are not new. They could keep using whatever they are paying off on now as an elementary school in any consolidation if it were to happen sooner than 20 years from now. The NY consolidation happened several years after the state started consolidating, and the state has not even started consolidating again yet, but I think it is inevitable that this day is going to come.

[mister b]

You bring up good points, however, I don't think that in today's society consolidation is the cureall for the school funding issue like it was in the 1950's, 60's or the 70's. Different factors are at work today. Many small districts across this country are offering classes through the internet that they couldn't afford to a few years ago. Employing a teacher for 5 or 6 kids is very expensive and boards of education are trimming their budgets at every corner. Having online classes for a few kids is much cheaper for the district. Many people today are getting college degrees online.

There are drawbacks to online learning for high school students. The main one being that the kids must be able to study on their own as nobody is looking over their shoulder and making them do the work. Online classes are only for self starting students in my opinion.

The X-factor in all of this will be the state budget and IF there will be deep cuts in education in the next few years. I would rather see the state cut funding for post-secondary education (colleges) then to cut in K-12 education where the kids need to get the basics down before attempting college.

The state has a hard time getting things right. Example, Ohio has decided that to get it's test scores up in science, it is mandating that starting with the class of 2012 (I think) every student must pass chemistry in order to earn a high school diploma. This is crap. Chemistry is a class that seperates out the students. Not all kids can pass a true chemistry class. Instead of making all kids take and pass chemistry, how about making them take 4 years of science which includes earth science, phyiscal science, Biology and Intro to Chemistry for kids not looking to go to a 4 year college. Chemistry should be for those who are serious about college and considering a major in engineering or the medical field.

Anyway, it is hard to predict the future. People still want a local school, but they want someone else to pay for it.

[91Buckeye]

Mister B not to mention that you are looking at junior and senior level algebra when doing chemistry. I do agree with you about not needing to abandon buildings if a consolidation were to happen. I see something like this, the newly constructed middle school and renovated high school in Buchtel would become the consolidated High School, Trimble High School would become the new middle school for the consolidated district, while each school would keep the current elementary schools that are in place and use the poston facility for administrative offices. This would put all buildings being used by each district into play and utilize facilities that are currently being funded by taxpayers.

[Paladin]

fasteach-- you got Ironton's number !!

It would be a mistake for the TVC to admit Warren. They would dominate it all.

[Charley Hustle]

no reply: The problem with that logic is a lot of schools have been locked into more than two non league games forever and it would force them to pick and choose who to continue with and who to drop. GAHS had a 2 year deal with Wheelersburg that I was hoping would continue, but it was about the same time as SEOAL expansion and with SEOAL teams only having 3 non league games, those long time rivalries took precedence and I guess we were the odd man out. I know Ironton had to choose as well and kept Burg, Russell and Ashland.

I too dont understand the logic of the TVC's mentality of wanting a super league when all they do is split it into 2 or more smaller divisions; each one having their own TVC champion and not being required to play teams from the other divisions in their own league. If some had their way and they incorporated the SEOAL into the TVC by creating another division for them, what is the difference in what we have now as a separate league with our own identity.

The SEOAL is one of the longest continually operating HS leagues in the entire state and that isnt something I would casually throw away. And as for the fella who wants to "CALLANGE THE SEOAL," I say the best way to do that is to schedule the Logans, Chillicothes, Mariettas, Warrens and GAHSs of the league as non league.

I dont want to get into a pi--ing contest about which league is stronger because the TVC has teams in every sport that would do well in the SEOAL, but they are the exception and certainly not top to bottom. There was a reason why several TVC teams who used to be in the SEOAL left, and why some of them wont have much to do with SEOAL schools now. I applaud N-Y for playing Ironton in football. They are without question the flagship program in the TVC and have every right to be proud of what they have accomplished.

good post.......