By Antonio D. French
Filed Wednesday, May 10 at 5:32 AM
The St. Louis Board of Education voted last night to table a proposal to close Cleveland High School to allow time for more public debate. They also requested that Superintendent Creg Williams provide more details on what problems are facing the building and exactly where the students will be moved next year.
Dozens of people showed up to Carr Lane Middle School to defend the "Old Castle" -- parents, aldermen, and white-haired alumni who could remember better days for the Dutchtown landmark.
"The torch has passed to you," Ald. Craig Schmid (20th Ward), a Cleveland alumnus, told the Board. "Future generations will benefit, or not, from the fiduciary decisions that you make."
Schmid toured the building Monday along with Ald. Dorothy Kirner (25th Ward), in whose ward the school resides, and three school board members. While conceding that he is not an engineer, he said that the damage he saw appeared to be the result of years of neglect.
Kirner also addressed the Board. "I cannot have that school closed. It's too dear to me," she said.
She said that the community and the alumni are ready and willing to help. They just need to be told what the needs of the building are and how much needs to be raised.
Public comments came near the begining of the meeting. The decision on Cleveland came near the end of the three-hour session.
Board member Bill Purdy said that he felt that the board needed more information before they could make an informed decision. He said that the public also needed more time to ponder the options.
Purdy proposed at least one public meeting be held at the high school and that the public be allowed to tour the building to see for themselves the physical challenges facing the 93-year-old building.
Board member Peter Downs seconded Purdy's motion to table the decision until next month's meeting. The vote was 5-1. Only Ron Jackson voted against tabling the motion. Bob Archibald left the meeting before the vote.
2 Comments:
Closing Cleveland High School – or any public school – should never occur without simultaneously considering where the staff and students shall be housed, how the building will be secured, when building restoration will begin. This is more that an item on and agenda; it is a long-range planning issue that must have, cost analyses, time-lines and interim strategies that insure program stability. In a post-Roberti era, it is imperative that all members of the Board of Education and the Superintendent act transparently, utilize community conversation and participation in decision-making and – most importantly – set before the citizens of the City a well-articulated stewardship for curricula, for students, for staff and for properties.
Closing and moving schools and programs without a reasoned plan for that property, its student and staff and its program – harkens back to the Roberti-closing of north-side schools, the selling of the Audi-Visual building – also an Ittner-designed building, as is Cleveland – to loft-builders, the sale of Warring School to SLU.
The Board must confidently insure the residents of St. Louis that those dark and contentious days are gone. Securing taxpayer-support for bold and significant issues demands that the Board consider not the simple quick-fix but deliberate the long-range impact of any decision upon students, staff, parents and neighborhoods.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006 2:03:00 PM
I think that closing Cleveland would be devastating to many who shared memories there. I went to Cleveland ROTC no more than a year age and yes it needs repairing but I would stand against anyone who thought this architectural gem should be sold or demolished. Can't things be done in a thought out manner. I don't care what power the "new" superintendent has, it seems to me like he's thought up unrealistic goals and trying to change things overnight. Restructuring other schools will make no difference in how well the students will score on tests and correct me if i'm wrong but isn't it Vashon that has brand new facilities that they don't even appreciate and gang fights have even took place there since! Students at Cleveland deserve the same things that Vashon has got to enjoy.
Thursday, May 11, 2006 10:02:00 AM
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