Which Plan???

Duluth School District has been facing the fact that student enrollment numbers have been dwindling for years. For years, there is talk of what to do about this situation. Lots of talk, but no action, the school district seems to just put off the envitable year after year, and that envtiable is that consolidation is needed. Every small town and even large towns throughout the U.S. have been facing this for many years. Finally, in 2006 an
independent study was done for the district. From this study came three recommendations for the solving of this in three ways which were presented to the public a few months ago. There were meetings throughout the city to explain the three plans. From the three plans, emerges one that the school board is looking at the most. I’m not sure if it really is the one that the majority of people think is best – it is the “Red Plan”. I think it’s the plan that people are leaning toward because they realize that one school has to be eliminated.

So what do my Duluth readers think? Which plan do you think would be the best? Should Duluth have one school or two? I grew up a rural area, many small towns with high schools and elementary schools around. When I was in 8th grade, two of the towns went together and built one big school. Each small town was not happy about losing their high school, but financially it just wasn’t feasible, consolation was a must. In the 40 – 50 years since, we have seen many consolidations in many towns. Someone that grew up in Minneapolis mentioned that this has happened to most of the small areas of the cities, and while no one initially likes it, she said that they all got “over it”. She thinks Duluth should go to one high school and people should “just get over it”, like all the other small towns in the nation have done. I know the school district that I grew up in was not sorry that the new larger school was built.

The “red plan” calls for two high schools instead of the three we now have. Central in the middle of the city would be closed, and the two high schools would be one in the east end of town and one in the west end of town. Now, you Duluthians know that there is a big division already between “East and West” in our city. I am thinking that two schools located at each end, would make that division worse. Because it is not just a geographical division, it is an eco/social division. Economically, the east part of town is richer than the west, which won’t make for a diverse student body, which I think is important.

It will be interesting to watch what develops between these plans and which plan the school board will endorse.

The Red plan calls for Denfeld to stay a high school, and for East High School to become a middle school. The second high school would be at the Ordean Middle School building in the eastern part of town. This plan calls for the closing of Central High School, which was built new in 1971, the first year I lived here. It was built when the school board decided the old Central had to be replaced due to age and safety conditions. Not too long after though, "low and behold" the board fixed up the building and put their administration offices in it. Of course, you know how well that went over with those who didn’t want the new school built. Now, if they try to close this Central building, I think a fight might be coming, like the fight the board had in 1991 and ’92 when they tried to close the building. I’d hate to think of closing Denfeld, as money has just been spent re-doing their beautiful auditorium and organ.

During this week I will post some information on the history of each of these schools. One thing is for certain, due to smaller student populations, and the trend to continue at least through 2013, something has to be done. Duluth simply can’t afford three high schools any longer. I think we should look at social and justice issues for the students, as well as financial, and leave out the politics, when it comes to making the decision between the three plans.