Congratulations, Bentonville School District. Michael Poore didn't show up with a "Ninth-Grade Center" sign.
Maybe with Friday's ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new West High School in Centerton, some of the naysayers who swore the now-former Bentonville superintendent would figure out some way to make West a ninth-grade center can relax a little bit.
We doubt it, but they should try.
Poore's gone now, having been hired away by the state's education commissioner to be superintendent of the Little Rock School District. But he showed up Friday to help celebrate the official opening ceremony for Bentonville's second high school. The governor was there as well as the new superintendent, Debbie Jones.
And there was much to celebrate, not the least of which was the physical manifestation of a community that survived a tumultuous political disagreement and is emerging from the experience with a facility all can be proud of.
In 2011, when the incoming juniors of West were just sixth-graders, the school board voted 4-3 to support construction of a ninth-grade center rather than a second high school, even as most people spoke in opposition to such a plan. Poore, in his first year as the district's top administrator, backed a ninth-grade center to help alleviate student enrollment pressures on existing schools. The decision led to weeks of extraordinarily heated debate and a school board meeting at which more than 500 people showed up. The school board delayed its plans for a millage increase request to voters. By January, the board overturned its decision and shifted to efforts to build a second high school, but it would take until 2013 before voters were willing to support a millage plan to build one.
Friday, naturally, wasn't about the growing pains the community went through to reach the opening ceremonies for the district's second high school. But in the spirit of learning, the students who attend West High School -- and those in other schools -- should certainly note that a lot of work, passion, drive and commitment were required for the community to reach those festivities. There were hurt feelings, anger, calls for resignations and firings. It wasn't pretty at times. But that's what's required sometimes to achieve a worthy outcome, especially in the public sector. The people within the school district, and the people of the community, didn't give up. Despite high emotions, difficult decisions and sometimes troubling rhetoric, Bentonville came through.
The result is a high school all of Bentonville can be -- will be -- proud of.
Friday represented a hard-fought victory for the community. And while the ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the opening of a building, it will soon enough represent the transformation of the facility into a place where learning happens, friendships and memories are made, and the foundations for a bright future are put in place.
Go Wolverines!
Commentary on 07/30/2016