I think everyone agrees the renovations will have to happen eventually. The music wing and Gates Gym are old and need to be rebuilt. the cafeteria doesn't fit everyone in the lunch periods. And as someone who runs in the fieldhouse everyday, I can tell you its a piece of junk. So the main argument against the referendum seems to be that this isn't the right time. However, I would argue that now is the perfect time. Not only are construction costs down fifteen to twenty percent compared to previous years, but a bond program that expires at the end of this year allows the school to save 35% on interest. All together, the proposed plan would cost almost $100 dollars more per $10,000 taxed next year than it would this year. In addition to these reasons, there are many other reasons, such as wheelchair accessibility. After talking to a few fellow American Studies students during class today, the main opposition seemed to be that we didn't want to have to be inconvenienced by the construction. And maybe its just me, but that seems pretty selfish. Its gonna have to happen sometime, and were only going to have it for half the time (one year) the sophomores and freshman are going to have it (two years), so its not too big of a deal. After looking at all the facts of the situation, I feel like the referendum should be passed. Do you feel the same way, or am I missing any possible negatives to the plan?
Everyone in the district probably does have an opinion, however slight. Like you my neighbors have young kids who won't be attending New Trier for a while and they are more pro-renovation than anyone. The timing is ideal in their opinion. The reconstruction will certainly be finished in time for their children to reap the benefits.
ReplyDeleteI'm no authority on the subject, but from what I've heard I would have to say I'm anti-renovation. It is certainly unacceptable that our school is not handicap friendly and I agree that something should be done to fix that, immediately. But I don't think the school needs a complete makeover to fix that problem. It's true that the school will eventually need a renovation and it can be done now at a discount price. However, our country is still in the worst economic condition since the Great Depression. Although the construction price is down 15-20%, when you've lost nearly all of your assets any tax increase is a significant burden.
I have heard that the music wind is a complete mess, and in time something should be done to fix it. But I really think the field house and Gates Gym are fine as they are. I suppose they could look a little prettier, but they sufficiently serve their intended purposes. As for the cafeteria not being able to seat every student, there is plenty of extra space for tables. Alot of students just prefer to sit elsewhere. That's just what I think from the information I've heard, but I don't have a very strong opinion either way.
I think that the argument over the renovations has been clouded by what Barry Schwartz was talking about. If we talked about the cost of the school renovations as a mere responsibility, most people might agree to it. We, however, think of it as a monetary matter. We tell people that it will raise the value of their homes and they think about how much the cost is compared to the value on their homes. Some people come up with different conclusions than others. It is a lot like the nuclear waste dump in Switzerland that Schwartz talked about. As a civic duty, many people were willing to take the dump in their neighborhood. Offer them money, and the percent of people willing to take the dump was halved.
ReplyDeleteI do NOT think that the referendum should be passed. I don't think it's fair to have to increase taxes to fix a school that is already perfectly fine. The administration through its partial explanations hyped up the current conditions of the high school in order to gain support. If we want to fix the "field house" and add another elevator so that handicapped people can access some of the music rooms, FINE! But that doesn't mean we have to redo almost all of the school!
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