New Grant School??!!!

[Bill Call]

Bill/Dee

I have spoken with all of the players in this scenario, and the land swap is a very real possibility.......
So that as you drive into downtown Lakewood from I-90, you are greeted with a large sparkling new office building at the gateway to downtown Lakewood. A huge plus instead of the BOW, Post Office.

This is a good idea. A better use of Kaufman Park, acres available for a commercial gateway to Lakewood. Hopefully the City and Board can reach an understanding.

It could be something grand.

[Dee Martinez]

I dont know for a fact that Kaufman Park is more valuable than the land Grant is on. I DO know that retrofitting Grant would be a fraction of building a new 700-student facility.
One of the 3 remaining elementary schools is almost definitely going to close basically because Lakewood people dont want to pay the freight to keep all 3 open w/o state help.
A "land swap"? Its going to be that easy? The city gives up a piece of land and the schools have to ask voters to finance a $10 million building?
Theres not the slightest certainty that the public is going to vote for the small Phase 3 request as it stands.
I like innovative thinking but this is like talking about building a peninsula in the lake when we cant plow the streets!

Remodel Lincoln, remodel Roosevelt with state help, Wait a few years and remodel Grant with local money.

[Dee Martinez]

Where is that edit button? I dont like multiple postings
The other thing which I am surprised Mr Markling didnt mention is that the clock is ticking. The high school is half done with trailers in the north lot. There is Im told a deadline for getting our state funds. We have already spent over $100 million based on that premise and next year is "our" year.
Getting distracted or derailed by some prolonged debate over a city-school "land swap" and who pays what and who gets what could cost us big money.

[Edward Favre]

For the record, the Board of Education has not discussed any land use outside of that which it already owns. This includes Kauffman Park. There has been no Board discussion with City Officials. Kauffman Park is City property. As such, the Board of Education would be presumptuous to discuss any plan for Kauffman Park without the City's permission and obvious involvement.

For several years, City and School District officials have met on a regular basis to discuss areas of mutual concern. The Board is aware of other thoughts the City may have for Kauffman Park.

The Board has a commitment that the District's current facilities process is with the Phase III Committee. Any discuss of future school facilities originates there.

Ed Favre
Board President

[Jim O'Bryan]

Ah a Kaufman Park school...

I can sssseeeeiiiiiiit nnnooowwwww....

"Children, (distance rumble and blowing of horn) please open your books to page (honk, honk) fourteen, as we (building starts to shake now) will read paragraphs (HONK HONK HOOOONNNNNK) six through ellllleeeevvveeen!" (all teeth chattering by now)

Oh better yet (screaming at top of voice) LET'S ALL SING A TRAIN SONG!

And even if the building was sufficiently soundproofed against noise, there would remain the question of what might happen to a nearbly school with a derailment.

Gary

Garfield is built right next to the tracks.





Soccer right next to the tracks.

FWIW


.

[Stan Austin]

I have not been part of the school renovation process. But, I would like to make an observation regarding Grant Elementary. This was built and designed during the 1960s. To my way of thinking, this was the worst period of American architecture. Think--- Lawsons (of the Big O Express, and dutch loaf). Grant, while purportedly innovative at the time, is now just an example of that awkward time.

It should be preserved in photographs, only.

The committee should focus on a solution that maintains the criteria of geographical accessibility and continuing the architectural excellence that has been a mainstay of the process to date.

Stan Austin

[Dee Martinez]

But
If it made sense for the schools to combine Lincoln and Grant into a gigantic new school, wouldnt it make more sense to build it on their OWN property, namely the combination of the Warren Rd headquarters and Grant lots?
Why in the world add the moving part of a city/school "swap" to build a school behind Drug Mart?

And Mr Austin I just saw your comment. Grant school is not excepttionally pretty from the outside I agree. However my kids went to five different Lakewood schools (including the McKinley and the "old" Horace Mann)and I can tell you it is hardly the worst.

[Christina McCallum]

Once again, the idea is NOT that a school at Kaufmann Park would be a 700-student "Mega-School."

If Meg doesn't state this specifically in her LO piece, I know from talking to her that she did NOT intend for a new school to house so many children.

If the District moves to a total 6 elementary buildings, regardless of where they're built, redistricting will occur. It happened after Phase I's completion. Redistricting will occur again, and in the Kaufmann Park scenario, Lincoln & Grant kids would be divided by neighborhood to the school closest to their home.

This plan is appealing because it is out of anyone's previous notions of what is possible. It's exciting, and it causes people to think, "what if. . ." (Even if the District and City haven't been talking).

In addition, it avoids some divisiveness that is lurking in the bushes, and sometimes is out in the open on the sidewalk. Families are attached to their schools, and for good reason.

The point is that we are working for ONE LAKEWOOD SCHOOL SYSTEM. We have to think about our entire community, not just those living in our 1/2-mile radius. It will be fabulous after Phase III's completion--what district in the state will be able to say it rebuilt ALL of its schools within a 12 year period of time? The new buildings will draw families here, and then the newbies will find out what we know: that our teachers and staff are doing a fantastic job.

I hope we can keep the future goal in mind as we proceed with Phase III. It will be great once we get there. Painful maybe for a little while, but the end result will be worth it.



[/b]

[Dee Martinez]

If it's not a "mega-school" what do you do with the kids? Classes under a tree in the park?
Lincoln is the biggest of the original elementary schools. Grant isnt small. Emerson and Horace Mann were designed for the neighborhoods they currently serve.
A new Kaufman Park school would have to be enormous, or you would have to have to have two buildings---just like now.
So why not just proceed with the current assessment and planning? Why are we reinventing the wheel? Just for fun?

[Gary Rice]

Jim,

Having a big athletic field between a school and the tracks is not the same as being "next to the tracks".

Garfield is "next to" Detroit Avenue, and not the tracks.

In my mind, what was being proposed was to put a school where the ball field was, and THAT would have been "next to the tracks".

And, as Ed alludes, Kaufman is seemingly not in the works for Lakewood Schools at this time anyway.

I like the idea of new schools over refurbs personally. There are many old building issues that are done away with when you build new schools.

Oh well, at least now I'm thinking of all those train songs for the banjo...

Chooo CHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Danielle Masters]

I'm trying to stay out of this as much as possible due to personal attacks to me in the past when I have discussed school issues. I just wanted to say a few things. According to the data I received from the BOE Harrison is the largest elementary school, not Lincoln. And while Grant isn't the prettiest school on the outside, it is a wonderful building that houses a diverse group of Lakewood students and does it well. Grant is the only public Blue Ribbon school in Lakewood, that fact has often been overlooked which is a shame because it is something the community should be proud of. I though think that all of the seven current elementary schools due a good job of serving their students. While this is a wonderful time for Lakewood city schools this is also a very divisive time which is sad. The number one concern should be what is best for the entire district not one specific group. And with that I will bow out of this conversation.

[Danielle Masters]

I forgot to say I think that Meg put a lot of thought into her idea and that is what is amazing about Lakewood. People coming forward with ideas instead of simply relying on those in charge. I love that there is so much community involvement in decisions made in this fabulous city.

[Dee Martinez]

I said that Lincoln was the largest of the "original" elementary schools, including the 3 that are now being evaluated. I realize that the 4 new elementary schools are larger.
The school facilities project has been on the table for nearly 10 years and NOW at the last minute, were coming up with "bold" new ideas?
Public schools dont DO bold new ideas. Schools do what they have to do to walk the line between parents, taxpayers, the government and, espcially, the kids. Sell the Kaufman Park idea to St Eds, Lakewood Lutheran, or the Lakewood Catholic Academy. If its such a super idea somebody should hop right on it.

I am sorry, I truly do not mean be to be this snarky but I kept reading about a peninsula on the lake when all I wanted was my street plowed. The BOE has been working with a sensible, methodical plan of action for the last 8 years. The board members know their mission, and its not to chase "out of the box ideas" Its coming down to its final phase and the decision about which school to close is going to a grueling one. Please lets stay focused.
I also thank Mr Favre for his perspective and info on this.

[Bill Call]

For the record, the Board of Education has not discussed any land use outside of that which it already owns. This includes Kauffman Park. There has been no Board discussion with City Officials. Kauffman Park is City property. Ed Favre
Board President

You should start having those discussions.

Grant School is overcrowded and in need of extensive renovation. After it is renovated it will still be an excellent example of cheap 1960's architecture.

Lincoln is underutilized and in need of extensive renovation.

Kaufman Park is reasonably close to all of the students served by the two schools.

Closing two schools to build one would lessen the hard feelings if one school is closed while another remains open.

While there are commercial possibilites for land at Kaufman Park those possibilities would still be open at the current site of Grant and the school board.

Phase III is estimated to cost $56 per year for each $100,000 of assessed value. For $10 more the School board could build a spectacualr school, keep the park, open up new land for development and create an investment environment that could jump start other development throughout the City.

The School Board wasted an opportunity at Garfield, hopefully they won't waste another one.

[Dee Martinez]

Now, now, now Mr Call.
You know as well as I do that it would never be a 1-for-1 "land swap" The Lincoln, Grant, and Kaufman Park properties are in different areas have different values and are controlled by entities with different imperatives. Money, TAX money, would have to change hands.

You would be the first person to complain the city sold it to the schools too cheap or that the schools paid too much.
I also want to reiterate that this is bigger than someones idea tossed over the transom. Lakewood High School is half-done and wont be finished without Phase 3 approval Kids will still be in trailers while we go around and around about somebodys "idea"

The issue is clear. We have three schools left to be replaced or fixed (plus the other half of LHS). The state will only pay for two. This needs to be on the table fairly soon. Focus.