Silas Willard school was built in 1912 and added onto in 1938, and is supposedly in a state of “abysmal neglect”. I think a new elementary school should be built, and the most important issue in the decision should be the safety of the students. It seems it would be difficult to get the students off the second floor of the building in case of a fire or other emergency. There’s also the issue of overcrowding; many students who live in the Silas district have to attend other schools due to the maximum capacity limit being surpassed. I know this because my grandson lives in that district, but goes to Gale school. Why put more money into such an old building? That’s like putting new wine in old skins. A recent news article stated that “Silas Willard is in Phase II of the $110 million Operation Rebuild-Achievement project”. What’s been done so far? ***********
Galesburg Senior High School project “is in the final part of Phase I work” with a $15.8 million budget. GHS has a swimming pool and tennis courts, and now wants to install astro-turf on the football field. Geez! How did us previous high school graduates ever make it without such luxuries? And all the schools seem to post on their billboards how much the state of Illinois is behind in their contributions to them. Yet I hear some folks complaining about the dang state workers and greedy retirees and the big pensions their receiving, as if “we” are somehow the fiscal problem for the state. As a recent state retiree myself, I resent that commentary! I worked hard for 26 years at a soul-sucking job, and stayed with that job so that I would have what was promised to me, which was an agreed upon pension amt and health care for which the state would pay my monthly premium. Just sayin! If the detractors had stayed with a job that offered a pension plan that long they’d expect what they had worked for all those years! We state workers paid our part of the contribution; the problem is that the state of Illinois did not pay their share. That’s why there is a big budget deficit!
May 17 2013
What issues are most important in Silas Willard decision
Silas Willard school was built in 1912 and added onto in 1938, and is supposedly in a state of “abysmal neglect”. I think a new elementary school should be built, and the most important issue in the decision should be the safety of the students. It seems it would be difficult to get the students off the second floor of the building in case of a fire or other emergency. There’s also the issue of overcrowding; many students who live in the Silas district have to attend other schools due to the maximum capacity limit being surpassed. I know this because my grandson lives in that district, but goes to Gale school. Why put more money into such an old building? That’s like putting new wine in old skins. A recent news article stated that “Silas Willard is in Phase II of the $110 million Operation Rebuild-Achievement project”. What’s been done so far? ***********
Galesburg Senior High School project “is in the final part of Phase I work” with a $15.8 million budget. GHS has a swimming pool and tennis courts, and now wants to install astro-turf on the football field. Geez! How did us previous high school graduates ever make it without such luxuries? And all the schools seem to post on their billboards how much the state of Illinois is behind in their contributions to them. Yet I hear some folks complaining about the dang state workers and greedy retirees and the big pensions their receiving, as if “we” are somehow the fiscal problem for the state. As a recent state retiree myself, I resent that commentary! I worked hard for 26 years at a soul-sucking job, and stayed with that job so that I would have what was promised to me, which was an agreed upon pension amt and health care for which the state would pay my monthly premium. Just sayin! If the detractors had stayed with a job that offered a pension plan that long they’d expect what they had worked for all those years! We state workers paid our part of the contribution; the problem is that the state of Illinois did not pay their share. That’s why there is a big budget deficit!
By spiritspeak • Community Roundtable 0 • Tags: community roundtable