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An Ode to
Neighborhood Schools
By Dr. Steven Gruber
One day a father was walking through a community with his young son
Billy. As they walked, the father directed the conversation to the
importance of receiving a good education and of good schools. Billy
asks his father, how were you educated? What were schools like when you
were a boy?
The father replied by saying, Billy when I went to school they were
located in the neighborhoods where children lived. These schools were
many times within walking distance of our homes and we enjoyed the
changing of the seasons as we walked to and from school. The
neighborhood group of friends and the families from which they came
knew each other well. Our parents also knew our teachers and the
principal of the school because we frequently went to our school.
The neighborhood school was the center of neighborhood activity
bringing people together.
Our parents took us to the school playground where we played and our
parents talked. Our moms were room mothers and throughout the year
provided special treats and help for the teacher. Our dads helped out
with washing dishes and setting up tables and chairs for the annual
Chili Supper. Working together as parents to support their kids at the
neighborhood school was an ongoing activity that was expected and
rarely questioned.
Billy then asked his father, why do we now attend a district wide
elementary school far from our home? Well Billy, let me try to
explain. The current mega elementary school was the creation of
our community board of education.
What is a board of education father? A board of education is a
group of people who make decisions regarding the operation of the
community schools. Are these people who make the decisions wise people,
Billy asked? Billy’s father replied, these people are “elected” people.
People who are many times “elected” by less than 50% of the voters in
the community.
Sometimes, the board of education will make decisions that involve
sacrifices. They will make these sacrifices on the altar of expedience
or convenience. What do you mean father, Billy asked? I mean that the
decision to replace neighborhood schools was a result of a decision by
the board of education to save money by achieving an economy of scale.
By placing all of our students who are in grades kindergarten through
8th grade in one building the school district could save money on
transportation, building maintenance, utility costs, and a variety of
other expenses.
But father, my mega school is not like what you explained your
neighborhood school was like. We are all bussed to school every day.
None of us walk. Some of my friends say they are on the school bus for
over an hour both coming and going to school. There are over 1600 of us
all attending the same school. The school is huge and I rarely see my
brothers and sister and the other neighborhood friends even though we
attend the same school.
I hear you and mom discussing your involvement at school. You say
that you really don’t feel a part of something that is so big. There
are so many parents that you don’t feel needed. After school activities
are so large that you don’t want to fight the traffic getting in and
out of the parking lots. So you decide to just stay home.
You are correct Billy. There are some major differences from what I
remember of my neighborhood school days. The economy of scale demands a
hard bargain in regards to keeping schools a place of community
engagement and community building. Such things are difficult to measure
in dollars but are very valuable to a community.
Father, was the school board sure there was no way to preserve smaller
neighborhood schools? Did economy of scale have to prevail over the
economy of community building and neighborhood support for schools?
You ask good questions my son.
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