Clinton Public Schools

"A Learning Place"
Special Newsletter                                                                 January 2010

R.I.S.E
Reconstruct and Invest in Scholastic Excellence

 

Citizens and educators who have been studying the needs of Clinton school facilities voted unanimously to request superintendent Jason Sternberger to ask the school board to set a date for a bond issue to fund critically needed reconstruction at all five school sites.
“Conditions are much more critical than we thought,” said Juan Garcia, who was a member of the citizens’ task force who began this past summer inspecting all of the schools. “We’ve simply outgrown our schools,” added David Davis. Committee members found overcrowding everywhere - in a band room built for 60 now housing 96, in cafeterias built for 200 now serving 450, in makeshift classrooms and computer labs everywhere. “I saw one class being conducted in a closet and an in-school suspension facility in a utility room,” said task force member Nancy Goodwin.
After much discussion the advisory committee suggested a bond issue that covers improvements at all five school sites plus the expansion of physical education and fitness class’s facilities at the high school. This last item was given much consideration because of fears that it would appear to the public that the project would favor athletics over academics, but educators on the committee jumped in strongly to explain that the lack of physical education facilities causes a huge problem in scheduling for middle school and high school students. “It hurts academics when a student has to choose between a PE class, band, or an honors class,” said CMS Principal Peggy Constien. “Many of the eleven sports at middle school and high school share the same facilities,” explained CHS Principal Janelle Shepherd, “so scheduling is a nightmare.”
In the recent bond issue that failed there was a provision for a new fine arts center, but the committee

 

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