[Winona Online Democracy]
I want to add my voice to the chorus of concern over the administration plans in the high school. I sympathize with the difficult decisions that the school board has to make. I believe that they are an exteremely dedicated and hard-working group of people.
I have my oldest of three children entering kindergarten next year. As we weigh the choices of where to send our kids and where to live (we are both public school teachers in other districts) we are closely examining if there is ANY hope that things will get better in Winona. Of course what is really needed is a change in funding at the state level, but besides that we wonder if the popular public sentiment against the school district will ever change. We have lived here for almost 7 years, and love Winona ~ the natural beauty, the size, and the close knit communities within it. Yet from the first month we knew something was strange from the news and coverage and public perception of the school district ("What to bet there will be a negative story about the school on the front page today?" Quickly became a common phrase in our house).
But I remember the first time I walked into the high school and saw the beauty of the concourse. I could already imagine our kids there. So I didn't complain about the 2 mile rule for walking to school, even though it could impact us, I knew that everything had to be on the chopping block. I also thought maybe drastic measures like that would wake up some of the "no" voters. I would like to reiterate what Craig Brooks said about the public perception being important. A grand administration setting at the expense of the students would be a step backwards.
I am open to hearing reasons in defense of this proposal and am quite willing to find out I am wrong. If they are out there, let us hear them and consider them! I am concerned if the reasons for this proposal are not aired in public until Thursday night at the board meeting.
Sarah Dixen
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