While I agree that we need to add space, I have to strongly disagree with the idea of a second high school. Doing so will take away from the small town feel we have in Bentonville. If the issue is one of too many students at the current High School, why not just change the grade configuration to make the current high school the SR. high school (11th and 12th grade only). Build a school, but make it for 9th and 10th grade. Position it where it will be easy to get the students to the facilities at the current high school (athletics, arts, etc.) It will be cheaper and can be done much quicker. If location is an issue, convert Ruth Hale Barker to the 10th grade campus, and Mary Mae Jones into the 9th grade campus. Both those facilities can be altered to hold those students cheaper than building a new high school and those students will still be close to the current facilities. You will agree that building a new high school is much more expensive than a new middle school and/or grade school. If we build a new high school, will it include a football stadium equal to the current Tiger stadium? Will we be building a new Arend Arts center? Only then can two high schools be considered fair. If we don't do these, the issue of sports participation is a non starter as one school will be for athletics and the other will be for academics. My vote will be NO if a "New" High School is on the ticket.

Posted by: donald.tolbert_cliffstar.com

October 13, 2009 at 7:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )