Time to talk about high school again
Medford School Board president Dave Fleegel made the right call in bringing the ongoing facility needs at the high school back into the spotlight at Monday night’s school board meeting.
It has been five months since district voters overwhelmingly rejected a $39.9 million expansion and renovation plan for Medford Area Senior High School. At the time of the last referendum, the board drew criticism from community members for bringing the same referendum to voters in April 2021 as they did following a narrow defeat in November 2020. At the time they were hopeful that with a few more months people would have a better understanding of the district’s needs.
Based on feedback following their election losses, the issue wasn’t with people understanding district needs, but with being strongly opposed to what they saw as district “wants.” Specifically, many voters opposed the addition of a second gym for physical education classes and practice space and the construction of a new, much larger theater space to replace the Red/White Theatre which would be converted into library space. There are a certain number of district voters who will reject any referendum, but for most it is a matter of balancing priorities with expenses.
During Monday’s preliminary discussions, district administrator Pat Sullivan suggested cutting a new theater and gym from the proposal and going to voters with a pared-down plan focused on core educational and administrative needs. Board member Steve Deml was 100% accurate in stating that the issues at the high school are not going away and will need to be addressed. The big questions are when and how that will be done.
The earliest the school board could bring a referendum to voters is in April 2022, seven months from now. A decision would need to be made by December to get on the ballot.
Now is the time to discuss the options and opportunities. Board members should take the next few months to gather input, weigh potential cost versus benefits and listen to feedback from voters before making a decision on whether or not the district should move forward with a referendum next spring or if they should wait until November 2022 or spring 2023.
Sullivan’s proposal for a scaled-back, essentials-only project is worthy of full consideration, especially with the addition of a proposed new access road connecting CTH Q with the elementary and high school complex. Such a road would dramatically improve traffic flow at peak times and make it safer for motorists entering and leaving the school before and after school and events.
It is easy to get bogged down in addressing the immediate concerns of the district and the challenges of keeping students in classrooms during a pandemic. Board members are also called on to be visionaries and leave a legacy impacting students and families for generations to come.
It is in the nature of any home, factory, business or public building that they must be periodically renovated and updated to continue to meet needs for years to come. It is time to restart the discussion on how Medford Area Senior High School can be a viable and vibrant community asset for the next 30 years.
