News-Record.com

It will be a cold day in you know where before I vote for another bond.

The school board and Grier have not been good financial stewards of our money.

Jamestown will be waiting along time before they get the necessary funding for the projects that should have been done already.

Jamestown will NEVER get a new school. It's easier to bus the white kids out. Everyone knows a few new buses are cheaper than new construction. Bonds are a JOKE and I will lobby against ANY school bond for as long as I live in this county.

But we all know that GCS will dangle that Jamestown/Ragsdale/Colfax High carrot out in front of the North High Point and Jamestown residents. I can hear it now, "We promise we'll put the Jamestown Middle, Ragsdale, and new Colfax High School first on the bond list if you'll vote ONE more time for school bonds. We really promise this time. Sorry it didn't work out for you during the previous $500 Million in school bonds, but really - we mean it this time."

The N-R editorial on Friday contained this statement:
"For the most part, Grier's ground-breaking middle and early college initiatives have paid handsome dividends. Students who might have dropped out have stayed in school. Many have blossomed in the nontraditional settings."

With the approval of the new program at Central, GCS must come up with $2 million to renovate the Tomlinson Building. The approval of this new program came only shortly after the decision was made to put the 9th grade academy in the Tomlinson Building so that they could be separated from the rest of the school. Now, it's been determined that the 9th graders can enjoy the same benefits by being on a separate floor. Did the magnet money expire for that program?

My point is that GCS is like a pinball, bouncing from one new program to another, being accelerated by available grant money. Of course, we are spending district money along with the grant money in pursuit of these new programs. Once the grant money expires, we bag the program and chase something new.

Since the N-R claims that "Grier's ground-breaking middle and early college initiatives have paid handsome dividends", I would like to see Morgan or Jennifer provide an analysis of the funds being spent in pursuit of these programs and what the "handsome dividends" are. I suspect that any such study would show that we are spending a great portion of our district funds in pursuit of these programs and getting what might be described as meager or homely dividends. Remember, we spent millions on the Choice Plan which was hastily approved and poorly implemented. I don't see any "world class" schools in High Point which were promised, even though millions of dollars were spent.

Again, I would like to challenge Morgan and Jenifer to provide a study that supports the claims of their editorial board. I suspect that they wil be unable to do so as the claim is highly fallacious. In the absence of any proof that there are successes with these programs, we are left with a failing school district led by a spendthrift superintendent and school board that can't be trusted with $1 more of school bonds. The results just aren't there. If they are, show us.

One other thing..do not include Guilford Early College in this study. These students are the among the brightest, and they would succeed in any setting. Let's take a look at the others and see what the cost/benefit is in those programs. Measure the level of education achievement to the cost of the programs. What are the handsome dividends being recognized?

Bennett Middle College 28% passing
A&T Middle College less than 35% passing

These aren't exact but close-- I think GTCC middle colleges are having better success. I do think some kids that have dropped out have come back and get a degree-- however the cost per student must be astronomical for the ones that do pass if you average the ones that don't into the mix!

GCS can dangle a whole friggin' truck load of carrots and most residents are now savy enough to know how these liars operate.

As long as there are empty seats at other High Point schools, there will be no construction in Jamestown--to believe otherwise is falling into the Grier-ended TRAP.

Well said, "Stormy".

The fact that Grier is relocating the 9th grade academy at Central FROM the Tomlinson building--ONLY because he now needs space is more proof of his failing "innovativeness". Basically he needs a building to house some thugs.

Instead of looking for a building to house repeat offenders, he takes again from a program working well. It was HIS idea that he sold us that 9th graders NEED to be separated...they NEED to be taught as a "small community"..they LEARN better, they assimilate better into the High School...blah, blah, blah...NOW Dr. Grief needs a building so just strike from the record his previous words about the benefits of 9th grade academies. I guarentee you that if this school was named Grimsley or Dudley, no building would be stolen for the sake of another thought-of-it-in-the-middle-of-the-night idea by Mr. Innovation.

Dear High Point: You are being SCREWED AGAIN!

Attention All Highpoint and Jamestown residents.

Take your children out of the schools in High Point.

Go private!!! Do what it takes. Take out second mortgages, forgo new cars, vacations - whatever it takes!!! Things will never change.

Our kids' education is at stake here!!!!! There are no do overs! Public school will soon be like public health!!!!

NO BONDS 4 EVER WOULD MAKE A NIFTY MAGNET!!!!!

What do you mean no new bonds???

I'm going to kick that football this time and Lucy isn't going to pull it away!!!!

Here goes!!!

Good grief, I'm flat on my back staring at the clouds again.

Sorry Charlie....when will you learn??? It looks as though Lucy has Grier-ended you again.

yEA...GRIER-ENDED ALLRIGHT!

In the summary for Southwest High it says.

"Renovations may include a media center expansion".

What do they mean by "may"?

Its no wonder we cant build schools to budget!!

Please don't let them take my racism blanket away! I won't know what to do next.

In fear of losing my blanket,

Linus (aka Deena)

I wonder if there is a "may" somewhere in the verbage for the new Northwest construction that is going on right now. I wouldn't be surprised if some projects from that blue-print get the AX too. Grier's champagne taste on a beer budget seems to always steal from one project to pay for another.

Good Luck Northwest, I hope you get what you all were promised.

And Dot wonders why some schools are "perceived to be better than others".

THEY ARE, dingbat!