Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

During the PLSD $77.5-million bond issue campaign for the 158-acre campus for the construction of our new schools in 2000, we were always reminded about the parity that would remain between the new schools and the old schools. Even when some taxpayers questioned PLSD about equal opportunities and equal facilities after the plans were unveiled and construction began, we asked about parity and were reassured that kids at one school would see no more or less than those at the other. Now that the open house is over and all the statistics about the new schools have been reported in the media, I have to ask the PLSD when the construction begins on the facilities at Pickerington Central and Ridgeview to bring them up to the standards set at North and Lakeview.

As reported in the press, the north campus includes two stadiums, one seating 4,000 with night lighting for football and soccer games, and another, smaller field with seating for 500 and including a six-lane track. When and where will construction on the new football stadium, concession stand and press boxes begin at the old schools? When and where will the additional baseball, softball and practice fields be started? When will the additional tennis courts be built? I mean, we will undoubtedly see parity in the quality of education given that many of the teachers from the old schools have gone to the new ones, but since so many people in the district have reminded us of the importance of the extracurriculars, we must have equal opportunities there, too, correct?

More facts from the press:
?• main gym seats 2,128, and the theatre seats 764. Will the construction for the renovations to the old school start soon to make it equal?
?• Lakeview Junior High School gymnasium seats 850. Will the construction at the old Junior High affect classes this fall?
?• PHSN athletic wing is also home to a weight room, a wrestling room, physical education locker rooms and team locker rooms. Can we fit those in our old school?

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By Fed Up

More School Spirit

Will the athletes from the new schools have better opportunities pursuing their goals of professional sports contracts have a leg up on the old school athletes because of their state of the art fitness facilities, whirlpools and weight machines in the athletic wing? Will those students aspiring for professional music careers more easily attain their goals in life because of the practice fields and interior amenities they have access to and the old school musicians don?’t? Will the new school musicians be the ones getting the invitations to march in the national event parades all over the country while the old school kids sit at home and watch them on TV simply because they have different facilities than the old school?

Will those students who lean more towards academics at the old school have the same shot at scholarships as the kids who have the three special science wings, one each for biology, chemistry and physics/earth sciences? Will the old high school be retrofitted with a 146-seat lecture hall? Will they get a 764-seat theater with full fly space over stage, orchestra pit, control room and lighting catwalk, 12-foot-wide halls, built-in blinds in windows, skylights in dining area, greeter desk in hallway across from office, carpeted classrooms, interior courtyard, special rooms for disabled with showers and a diaper-changing area? If you have a diaper changing area in the new school, you MUST have one in the old school.

Here is a quote I would like to see explained better ?“The high school, which Smith described as an ?‘unwrapped Pickerington High School Central,?’?…?” Mr. Smith, can we go ahead now and ?“unwrap?” Central at Central and give those kids the equality they are promised? Can we also ?“unwrap?” the old Junior High? Those schools may be wrapped too tight.

Perhaps the person making these observations can help PLSD answer my questions: ''It's criminally obscene,'' ?… said, gesturing toward the school's cafeteria. ?“The new schools, he said, have created ''... a community divided between the haves and the have-nots.'' The new school is a silver spoon, ?…said, the older school is a spork.?”

Is PLSD denying the children left behind at the old schools equal opportunities socially, academically and athletically? Does PLSD embrace ?“No Child Left Behind?”? Does the ?“Spork?” district feel left behind? We have all heard the stories of the white trash bags. Will we now face a shower of sporks at the games?


By Fed Up