The Longfellow controversy and technical difficulties?
The Toledo Free Press has a brief article in this week’s edition, Proposed Bowman-Longfellow swap draws criticism and WTOL has a story up tonight as well, Community divided over plan to move Longfellow school. But if you are curious as to what the proposed new school building on the campus of Start that is proposed could look like? You’ll be disappointed, while the page on the TPS website says:
Longfellow Elementary School is one of the schools that will be rebuilt through the Building for Success program – at a recent community meeting, several parents asked if the renderings of the new school were available on-line: to access the designs of the new building, simply click on one of the links below:
http://www.mungermunger.com/LongfellowES20091030a.pdf
http://www.mungermunger.com/LongfellowES20091030b.pdf
You won’t see drawings, what you will see is this:
Page not found
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had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.
Please try the following:
If you typed the page address in the Address bar, make sure that it is spelled correctly.- Click the Back button in your browser to try another link.
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This will be an issue to watch when it comes before Toledo City Council, most of the TPS Board members support the new school being built on the Start campus, the PTO organization as District 6 Councilwoman Lindsay Webb points out, is in support of the new building being at the Start campus and some in the neighborhood are organizing against the school being moved from it’s present location.
I couldn’t help wondering how those forced to look at the rubble that used to be my high school feel at this point….
I understand the desire of those who want a neighborhood school to remain in their neighborhood, if the school were to be torn down and rebuilt, as has happened with several schools, Arlington as one example, the children would have to be bused to a different building during the construction, unless the site is large enough to build a new school while the old one is still in existence. Looking at an aerial view from Areis? It doesn’t look as if it would be possible to build a new school while the old one is still standing. Hence I understand the preference that a new school be built without creating additional transition issues. Which side will “win” when it comes before Council remains to be seen…
For those of you who like visuals…Click on the image for the description…
I’ll just say that as an elected official who has dealt with relocating government service locations (Sylvania Township fire stations), it is almost impossible to please everyone on relocation issues. Ultimately, the school has to think about what is best for the children, not the neighborhood, while maintaining the fiscal end of building a new school which includes the cost of providing services during construction.
Interesting comment though, regarding the perceived increased police protection because of the location of the school. That is an issue that TPS should not be burdened with.
November 21st, 2009 at 1:02 pmDeeDee is right. This is a “no win” situation for the school board and city council. People on both sides get so emotional, it’s hard to make a rational decision.
The limited space on the current campus is a concern, even to construct the building as it is planned with the necessary extra land around it. I do understand how upsetting it is to those in the community to have the school moved that has been there since before most of them were born.
Lisa — One thing you didn’t mention is that the new site is not just close to Start High School, it is also very close to the newly constructed and newly opened West Toledo YMCA. Can we imagine all of the tie-ins that could occur for Longfellow students into YMCA after school programs? When I first heard about this proposal, the tie-ins to the YMCA truly got me excited!
Total cost and the best interests of the students are the most important factors. The feelings of those in the neighborhood must not be ignored, but their concerns cannot be allowed to trump the best interests of the students, and the most cost-effective decision.
November 22nd, 2009 at 2:06 pmCan’t agree. Neighborhood concerns should come first. After all they are the ones that support the school.
November 23rd, 2009 at 9:04 amReally, Gerald…”support”?? With all due respect…I’ve been a teacher in the Toledo Public Schools for over 33 years. I can’t remember EVER having a “neighbor” who wasn’t a family member of a student at the school where I was teaching, even enter the school building where I was teaching…EVER! Far too often, people who live near schools have nothing but negative things to say about those schools. They erroneously assume that things are out of control in buildings they NEVER enter.
I still say that the concerns of neighbors are important to consider, but the interests of the school children and financial concerns are the primary responsibility of elected officials.
Constituents all around the Toledo School District care about Longfellow School. They want the Toledo Board of Education and the City of Toledo to make decisions that will assure that Longfellow students are well educated in a fiscally sound way.
November 25th, 2009 at 5:27 pm