THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 15, 1995 TAG: 9510120150
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Opinion
SOURCE: BY DIANNE HENDERSON
LENGTH: Long : 126 lines
Many writers of impassioned letters to the editor about a second high school for northern Dare County seem unfamiliar with the December 1992 report of the High School Task Force.
As the former vice-chair of that group, I would remind people that the task force considered several options, including a single large high school (population 1,300-1,500 students); two comprehensive - not identical - high schools, 9-12; two separate high schools, one for grades 9-10, the other for 11-12; two high schools, one academic, one vocational.
The best choice, the task force agreed at that time, would be two coordinated high schools, one in the population center, Kill Devil Hills. By 2000, Dare County will have more students of high school age than a single school's desirable size (around 800, according to the state education department).
Using a ``base school'' concept with two school sites, a more diverse curriculum could be offered to all students. The two-school/single-administration concept with separate campuses could be a cost-effective alternative, although a single school located centrally might indeed be least expensive of all. Unfortunately, no available site is large enough for the single large school.
The task force did not address the administrative organization details. In other places, the one-school/multi-campus arrangement works well. It is like a college; students take some courses at one place and some at another, by choice.
Such schools use block scheduling and offer semester courses. Some classes meet Tuesday and Thursday; others Monday, Wednesday and Friday. A student has a base school and takes English, math and possibly history at that school. Career education, science labs, and modern ``tech prep'' technical courses, most of which require expensive laboratory space that should not be duplicated in a system the size of Dare County's, would benefit from placement in a newer facility.
Football and basketball team practice could stay at the Manteo High School site; under a combined approach, the two schools would field a single varsity sports team in any given sport. The band could practice at the new school.
The new school would host the county swim team, if a community-school swimming pool were part of the new complex. A pool in a high school is a great asset. Physical education classes teach swimming during the school day, and swim teams practice. Elementary and middle school swimming instruction is scheduled, too. After school, the pool is open (for a fee) to any resident in the community; senior citizens get a price break and possibly some reserved time for special help, physical therapy, etc.
Facility sharing would extend to the community college. The Dare campus of College of The Albemarle dropped its culinary arts program, presumably for lack of interest. However, if high-school-level vocational/career training in the food preparation field were offered, there would probably be many students interested in continuing their education as chefs.
Culinary arts laboratories used for high school instruction would be available for late afternoon and evening courses at the community college level, as well as for continuing education. The same is true with early childhood education or health care. A high school nurse's aide course leads into post-secondary licensed practical nurse training and continuing education.
An auditorium seating 500-600 people in a high school in Kill Devil Hills would be welcomed by groups like the Outer Banks Forum and the Theatre of Dare - a more reasonable size than that suggested for a convention center last year.
Theater and drama courses, TV production classes and even TV broadcasts of school board meetings for the local cable education channel could be accommodated for the school population. Manteo already has the high school auditorium, the aquarium and the History Center for large meetings and performances.
The survey questionnaire distributed in 1992 through all the county schools and PTAs revealed the interests of 737 parent respondents in new or expanded career education programs for high schools. Manteo Middle School did not return any surveys.
With block scheduling, Cape Hatteras students could also participate in the career courses. The top five career education choices, in order of preference, were health professions, commercial art and computer graphics, introduction to engineering, office technology and early childhood education.
The task force report was intended to serve as a starting point for discussions in the community. Information was presented with the idea that meetings would be conducted around the topics raised so that a broad consensus could be reached.
Fortunately, the population increases have not been as rapid as originally expected, but if we take figures from the end of the school year 1994-95 and project future populations using just the numbers in each grade as of that date, the numbers of high school students will be as follows: 1995-96, 872; 1996-97, 956; 1997-98, 1,026; 1998-99, 1,067; 1999-00, 1,097; 2000-01, 1,130.
Recall that the Manteo High School building was built for a student body of 600 and expanded extensively to hold 800. It is now surrounded by temporary classrooms in trailers. If we assume 5 percent of students will be diverted into the alternative school and the same percentage as usual drops out, the severe overcrowding may be delayed until 1998.
However, sooner or later, something will have to be done. Year-round school allows a building to serve one-third more students, but probably would not be the choice of our business community. Double sessions (7 a.m. to noon, and noon to 5 p.m.) can handle twice as many students. It really all depends on what the community itself wants and is willing to pay for.
I believe we owe it to students to provide both the academic foundation for further post-secondary education and one or more sets of career skills for entry-level jobs so that they can earn a living.
With decreasing availability of college loans, many students will have to work even if they do plan on college. Changes in the welfare system and requirements for job skills retraining will encourage a public school and community college partnership to provide retraining and new skills for the unemployed. Dare County could be a leader in educational innovation.
The community conversation about school needs is long overdue. It is time for the school board to reopen the dialogue, now that negotiations for a Kill Devil Hills site are concluded.
Current facts are needed about numbers of students, courses, costs of construction under different options. Perhaps the upcoming school board elections (May 1996) and county commissioner elections (primaries in May, general elections in November 1996) should focus on these discussions.
The county commissioners have to choose whether to approve a bond issue proposal after a request from the school board, by seeking approval from the state's Local Government Commission to place the referendum on the ballot. Many jurisdictions have found that bond issues do well in conjunction with presidential elections; fall 1996 looks like a perfect time.
If the local candidates don't act, the voters should! MEMO: Dianne Henderson lives in Southern Shores. She served as vice-chair of
the High School Task Force in 1992 and previously was chair of the
Arlington, Va., School Board. by CNB