The July 4 issue of the Crete News features a front page article on the 
proposed Dorchester School construction project and the special election to be held on September 11.As usual, reporter B.J. Fictum has written a balanced and informative piece featuring some new information, while also citing details from the Times' May 23 and June 27 stories, as well as the school board's public information meeting held in early May. (Editors' Note: We have been informed that only a handful of visitors attended the July 4 open house at the school.)
The Crete News story includes quotes from Dorchester Board of Education president Brad Havlat, who has served on the board for a dozen years. In the article, Havlat discusses the recent study that found the school's main structure -- built 80 years ago -- has a series of problems requiring action in the near future. Included in this list are ten "Life Safety Code issues" such as fire sprinkler systems; fire barriers between hallways and classrooms; boiler room fire separation; electrical work; and exit stairs and rails.
Other concerns noted by architects and engineers include: the building's inadequate classroom space; leaking ceilings; no vertical access for handicap students; highly inefficient plumbing and electrical systems; indoor air quality concerns; and some foundation and wall problems.
Havlat told the Crete News: "We had a board work session last November to kick around ideas for the school and one thing teachers and administrators had mentioned back then and even before then was lack of adequate space. ... People had seen what other schools like McCool Junction had built recently and that got the discussion going."
After review of the study's findings, Havlat said the board "unanimously" felt that putting any additional money into the 1927 school building was "not a wise way to spend public tax dollars." He noted, "The people of Dorchester would really like to keep their school in Dorchester, and the current board would like to do something so that this school has something to offer for the future." The Times commends the Crete News for its coverage of this important issue and encourages all District 44 voters to pick up the latest edition of the paper.
Old sweat, floor wax and sewer. The first thing that I noticed was the smell. It smelled like an old locker room full of stinky practice jerseys and socks. And this was once you stepped in the main doors.
ReplyDeleteOnce inside you notice, at first glance, not a whole lot has changed. Yeah, office locations, classroom layouts and color schemes may change, but basically everything is the same. Same outdated carpet, same collection of books, same desks and tables. I thought, “Well, maybe things aren’t so bad, I learned with them and survived.” “Why can’t they do it?” “At least they have air-conditioned rooms now.”
With a closer inspection of the surroundings, you start to realize some of the other things that still have not changed, plumbing problems, electrical constraints, efficiency, safety and enforcement limitations. Water fountains barely work and bathrooms are still stained and filthy. Tile flooring is chipped and loose, the fiber ceiling tile is disintegrating, paint is peeling. If you want a hallway, stairway or landing this school has plenty of them. While architectural nuances of the 1927 style these hallways, stairways and landings also prove to be wasted spaces, logistical nightmares. How can you safely monitor the traffic? Can you effectively use the floor area of the winding turns of stairwells?
As I continued around the school, it became evident: The most glaring problem in this school is space. The rooms are now jam-packed with desks, overflowing with students. The math room is probably the worst, but the others are not far behind. There is insufficient storage for each classroom. Shelves and shelves of textbooks and other literature line the walls of all classrooms, making the space problem even worse. Does this provide a suitable learning environment? The teaching paradigm has changed. Out are the note-taking lectures of yesterday, In is the approach of interactive learning, coupled with ever-evolving computer skills. Computers, servers and networking hubs are located all over the place and take up precious space that once held students. Here, rooms that previously held one class adequately are now partitioned off, in order to house the necessary computers and classes to make 21st century learning possible. Is it feasible to get rid of the computers? Hardly.
I made the last of my rounds, going from room to room, reminiscing about stories and people from the past. But, this isn’t about the past it’s about the future. It’s about providing an environment that is suitable and safer for students. It’s about creating a place that makes learning exciting and enjoyable. It’s about constructing a setting that will change the perception that Dorchester is a dying town, to one where Dorchester is mindful of the future and is willing to embrace generations to come. It’s about sending the right message to the kids, letting them know you believe in their potential.
The old girl is 80 years old. She has done her part educating hundreds; it’s time for her to go.
“If you want happiness for a lifetime - help the next generation.”
ReplyDeleteyou know, i wish people would quit complaning about our school. why werent things fix, if they were so bad. there are other school such as mccool, friend, milligan, exeter, and so on, that are alot big than us. why arent we hearing how bad of conditions there schools are. I wish there was more information about, how much it will cost. You know the valuations went up, and if the bond goes threw, in 2 yrs, they will revaluate again, what is it really going to cost the average person, can anyone predict that, no. I would like a new school, but why dont we fix the insided such as whats going on there, then fix the rest, you cant put a new, and not fix the real problems, you will still have the same problems. also what about all the other schools, they dont have elevators, you dont see them, so what is the big deal. i think we need to really think about this before we vote.
ReplyDeleteFor those who are still borderline on the new school issue,
ReplyDeleteThe fourth of July parade in Dorchester was once again a good one. I hope everyone took time to notice the "antique" tractors that were driven through. Those tractors were on display because they were tractors that had retired from thier intended job of working fields. Those tractors are most likely just for show and aren't used for the same purpose as they were made for. I compare these tractors to the old school. It is a very outdated building and can no longer serve its intended purpose. Just think some of those "antique" tractors aren't even half as old as our school.
It is time to update!
sir, not having elevators in a school with more than one story is discrimination. a student, teacher, administrator, or anyone else could easily sue the school. that issue alone makes it common sense to build a new school because the cost of building an elevator is very high.
ReplyDeleteI didn't tour the school on the 4th so I didn't see the visible deterioration but I do remember the layout from 30 years ago. I know that couldn't have changed much because it is all brick and concrete. Even back then there were signs of age. The statement that it was adequate for us then so why does it need to be improved just doesn't cut it. We are nearly 2 generations down the road and think about everything in our lives that has changed in the last 30 or 40 years, let alone 80. This facility has served its intended purpose and now new facilities are needed.
ReplyDeleteI do hope the building can be saved and a reasonable use found for it. THIS IS a historic structure and should be saved for future generations to see the architecture, etc. Obviously, it can't be moved but maybe it could become an auxilary of the Saline County Museum if no other use can be found. I would guess the general structure could last many many more years if some of the leaks, peeling paint and other cosmetic issues can be dealt with.
Cosmetic things are one thing, but how do you "fix" the problem of space and overcrowding?
ReplyDeleteIf the current estimates of roughly $17 per month are correct, what kind of message are we sending by questioning this issue? I see people spend more on beer and cigarettes each week . And that estimate is with a $100,000 house. There are a number of homes in Dorchester that are valued less than that.
The ones that will be effected most are the large land owners. How do you feel on the issue?
that's right, the tractors are old but still running, just goes to show things do work, with a little maintence.
ReplyDeleteThe average building life is only about 100 years. This old building is already at 80 and a lot of the tax payers money has been put towards trying to fix everything, for example the boilers.
ReplyDeleteHow much money are we willing to throw in to a building that might not be around too much longer. It is not stucturally going to be very safe in a few years. Then we are going to have to fork over even more money to build or consolidate and all the money we put into fixing it up has gone to waste.
I just don't see the point in wasting the tax payers money by trying to fix up a school that is going to be gone soon. We need to just suck it up and build something that is better and safer for our children. They deserve to have a chance at a good education. I don't know how many kids can remain focused and learn while they are either burning up of heat or freezing from the cold and also sitting crammed together with 15 or 20 other kids in a classroom that really only has the capacity to hold half that amount.
Anonymous, I would like you to take a walk through that school and give your expertise on the amount of money we as tax payers are going to have to throw into that school to fix it up on the inside. I gaurantee you are going to realize that your dollars are going to be better spent on a newer school.
Lots of ideas out there about how to improve the town (pave the streets, fix up main street, build a new ball park, etc., etc.). The only one I know of that has a chance of happening in the next 5 yrs. is improving the school. My guess is that if we build the new school building and improve the current facilities, the pride of Dorchester will rebound and multiply ten times over.
ReplyDeleteLets pump some soul back in our little town. My vote is YES on Sep. 11.
taxpayer, my home is over 100 years old, we fixed it up, and looks like new. its called remodeling, the cost of a new one, is way to much. just goes to show what a little fixing can do.
ReplyDeleteMaybe this will help some of the people against the new building change their minds.
ReplyDeleteEveryone: think back to when you were in school (90s, 80s, 70s, and so on). Now picture going to school in a building that would have been built over 80 years before. So, if you went to school in 1970, your school would have been built back in the 1800s.
You can't expect students in the 21st century to learn well in a building built in the early 1900s.
anonymous--your home looks new, but is your family crammed in a small dining room at dinnertime? Or did you just knock out a wall? Unfortunately, old buildings such as the school, which are 5 times the size of house, cannot accomodate such major changes as "knocking out a wall" or "knocking down a ceiling". Bottom-line, old is old. Old is only structurally sound for so long. Let's face reality here.
ReplyDeleteOld tractors would work today if farms were the same size as they were when the old Iron was in its heyday. When the 63 addition was added the school was designed to hold more students then it has today and for sure more then in the future. But then with the balanced write-up in the crete news: NOT. We'll have to see who votes and who doesn't when they remember they've forgot to register, again!
ReplyDeleteHuh?.....I don't understand your arguement buddy........ What does the 1963 buiding have to do with the crumbling 1927 building????
ReplyDeleteIf our school is so small, why do we have a preschool, the are no other schools that I know of that have that, we could use that for more space, and use the tyke building for preschool.
ReplyDeleteI've always felt it was ridiculous that we are paying a dime for a school run pre-school, but I've been told it's almost completely funded by the government.
ReplyDeleteBob, I agree with you- why use our school we pay taxes to run to help someone else make a profit to run their daycare/preschool. It is my understanding (and I may be wrong) that the school gets nothing for having a preschool except the rent it receives for the lease. I am under the impression that the preschool teacher gets all the funds-after she pays the lease of the building. If this is the case I am not sure why the school board would include a room in the plans dedicated to someone else's profit.
ReplyDeleteIf I am incorrect on this information- Please set the record straight.
I want a new school. I'll fight like heck to get that investment here because I think it will be the difference maker for this town's future, but I don't support putting in a daycare/nursry school. I'm tired of this attitude of "Let the government/taxpayers raise my kids and pay for my living costs." There is a lot of that mentality affecting our towns, large and small. (Of course I'm tired of driving through Crete on the 4th of July and seeing Mexican flags in what has become a third-world city, but what do I know!?)
ReplyDeletei see a lot of comments oh here about how good the Conner's building looks with a little fix up. Who would have ever thought that a building in that bad of condition could ever turn out looking so good.
ReplyDeleteKind of makes a guy wonder what a little creative thinking would do for the school and save us a couple of million
Let me get this straight........ your comparing a burned out, rat infested, condemned building built 30 years ago to an 80 year old school where our children are educated? .......... and my wife tells me that I have it all backwards.....
ReplyDeleteBelieve or not, right or wrong, the government (federal) does obligate local schools to offer pre-school to certain students (who may be considered learning impaired etc.). I guess the thought is, help them to get a head start so they can be more successful in the k-12 years. If interested you should ask those elementary school teachers if they believe that it helps those children. One thing is for sure, they will need to teach them whether they are well prepared or not. That is the nature of public education, you are going to educate those students, and property taxes will be the largest contributor (always has in Nebraska and always will.) Maybe the preschool could be viewed as an insurance policy for all students, who are going to enter kindergarten.
ReplyDeleteAgain, the school is responsibile to educate these pre-schoolers, and is reimbursed federal dollars for most of the costs (65%-75%.) Those students who are not verified must pay for their children to attend. So, if the daycare provider is helping those verified children (and facilitating those special services such as speech therapy etc.) in the community they are from, why not allow them to serve others from the same community?
So, you are obligated to help those students that are verified. You can do it here or send them somewhere else. I believe it's been in a pretty cost effective manner here, and the kids don't have to be transported somewhere else. As for the classroom, it is a small fraction of the building cost, and could be converted into a k-6 room if needed in the future. I also wouldn't be too concerned about the profits the provider is making, it "ain't" much.
Informed Citizen
A newly married couple love their classic two-seater sports car, sure it needs some cosmetic work, but they love it. The couple finds out that they are about to have a baby:
ReplyDelete"What are we going to do about the car? We don't have enough room!"
"Well, it would cost just too much money to buy a new car. Let me think of something.... I know!....Let me remove this panel here, and we can put the child in the trunk! Now that's creative thinking and we saved money!"
The couple then find out they are expecting twins.
"We only have room for one child and now we're going to have two!"
"What will we do?"
"Let me think of something...I know!...Let's get a new paint job! We still only have room for one child but we saved some money! They'll just have to take turns riding in the back."
Talk about a Child Left Behind