An investment of knowledge pays the best interest.
-Ben Franklin
Patrons of the Houston School District have an opportunity April 7 to make an important decision that will greatly improve facilities at the campus, advance educational opportunities for generations and help attract new residents and jobs to the community.
Voters will decide issues, if passed, that would construct a new high school, make improvements to the present library and upgrade the current high school building for middle school education.
The plan – the most comprehensive ever put together by the district – addresses many concerns and upgrades buildings for education opportunities that didn’t exist a few years ago, including computer labs necessary to teach students the tools necessary needed to succeed in today’s workplace. The various campus structures were constructed at a time when the main concern was electrical outlets and not computer connections. Much has changed since additional classrooms at the existing high school were constructed more than four decades ago and certainly since the original high school was constructed with the grit and determination that the town’s citizens decided was necessary for students then. That building still stands, but would require a complete gutting to begin the process to see if it can be used, architects say.
The issues also would allow students to have library resources on par with other districts its size. Today’s libraries are more than books on shelves. Students need access to multi-media components and computers. A new library would result next to a computer lab in the proposed high school that connects to the Hiett Gymnasium. And as a teacher described last week at a public forum, her students would get science lab space that includes something as simple as enough electrical outlets and water for experiments, which is currently limited.
The existing library also would expand for use by middle school students.
For the first time, cafeteria space would be adequate to handle the number of students. In the middle school, the current fourth-hour class period is disrupted as students eat and try to get focused for the remainder of the class. The existing high school will receive upstairs bathrooms to accommodate students. Security on campus will improve: Today access to buildings is available to anyone who might want to enter. That’s necessary because students must travel between several buildings, and doors can’t be locked.
School leaders have provided detailed information on the plan, and three public forums were held to answer questions and develop a site plan that will best serve the district, its citizens, students and teachers. (Available for viewing at www.houstonherald.com/video) It has much support, including 104-year Ellen McVay, who penned a letter published in this paper last week.
The blueprint also allows patrons to address the community’s education requirements with a solution that takes care of all of its needs now – rather than later when costs will be higher – and builds it at a time when construction costs and interest rates are down.
Financing is accomplished two ways:
*A $5 million bond issue with repayment coming from the existing levy.
*A $2.5 million lease purchase agreement that requires an increase in the levy of 43 cents per $100 assessed valuation. Progress will come with a price in a soft economy. Own an $80,000 house? The increase amounts to about $5 a month. Own 500 acres of the county’s best classified farmland? The cost is about $4 monthly.
Luckily, Houston’s economy and its citizens have fared well for the most part in the slowing economy. New jobs arriving have received a statewide notice. Incredibly, Houston finished the year with an increase in sales tax revenue. Its spirit also helped win the state’s top community development award last year.
We hope voters will continue the progress April 7 with a “yes” vote on Propositions 2 and 3.