Dear Group, It is one thing to discuss friendly sized grade schools conveniently spaced in stable city neighborhoods and those in population areas which are shrinking as is the case with parochial schools. I would expect little is shrinking in the Madison area. Is the population changing by culture and birth rates? Then what is the argument about "guns or butter?" That is the old argument for the building of new schools. The old schools are too expensive to provide the full array of services for the size. Is the question really "economies of scale?" The usual school administration response to a failed referendum is to say they must discontinue such as "janitorial or roof repairs." But maybe the newer hot buttons are "physical science and computer rooms." I presume that the last contributor to these pages has a newer vision of elementary education than in my day when we had one particular teacher for the year and certain traveling or shared teachers in art and music, etc. But maybe we have all sorts of activities moved from the high school level back to the lower grades?
Anyway, when the schools were consolidated in the 1960s there was aggressive government action and coercion forcing local districts to action. Purse strings were withheld and sales teams were sent out from Madison for the job. Our own beloved Junior High and later High School Principal went out as a primary State organizer for the consolidations at all levels back then. One might conclude that if the reverse action should happen--build a political base at the top in Madison and do the same thing in reverse. After all, government doesn't really care as long as an empire is created with "x" numbers of high level managers. I feel that I personally benefited from small personal schools. I still ride my English bike I got in fifth grade. Eric Westhagen? _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
