On Wednesday night the USD 253 Board of Education will consider approving a resolution to close Lowther North and Lowther South intermediate schools and also discuss options for selling the buildings.
During a previous meeting the board of education voted to close the Lowther buildings, send fifth graders back to elementary schools and house sixth grade students at Emporia Middle School. Also, a more than $2 million addition will be built onto EMS.
Nancy Horst, director of community relations, said the resolution to close the schools is the final step required to close a school. There will be a public hearing during the meeting, which will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Mary Herbert Education Center.
The resolution to close the Lowther buildings is listed as an action item in the agenda. Considering options for sale of the Lowther buildings is listed as an information/action item.
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chasecountycrawfords (anonymous) says...
still sad :(
January 11, 2011 at 4:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bball71 (anonymous) says...
What we don't need is more apartments
January 11, 2011 at 5:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
matt (anonymous) says...
The school board is doing the best they can, They are not like the CITY COMMISONERS who do what ever they want without even givin a s__t about the effects.
January 11, 2011 at 5:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
hometownkid (anonymous) says...
When I went to middle school at lowther I thought I was told about why the district shut down those two schools. "They where unfit for students" Now several years later and who knows how much money in improvements it is being suggested again. If the school district does sell the schools I surely hope they get a fair market value for them. (Unlike the school board building they sold)
One thing is for sure, our school board members are between a rock and a hard place and I'm sure they are doing a better job than I could !
January 11, 2011 at 8:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Asemporiaturns (anonymous) says...
A few Years back. They said that Mary Herbert was old and ran down and they had to close it. Cause they couldn't put Central air in it and that they couldn't put in an elevator for the handicapped. Well Now they have a/c in it and they also put in a elevator. So really if the building was in such bad shape then and couldn't be fixed up. Why is it that everything they said they couldn't do before is done now? They got everyone to agree to pay more taxes to help pay for it. Now there wanting to close down two more good schools again. Why not Put the 5th graders back in the grade schools and leave the 6th graders downtown. They could sell one of the buildings and Have more money to put to good use else where and still use the other. I don't understand why we have to spend millions on new buildings when we have good buildings. It is just another way to get us as tax payers to pay them more money like before. They build buildings that have a lot of wasted space in them. Then we have to pay more taxes to pay the heat bills. It never ends.
January 12, 2011 at 1:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lyon (anonymous) says...
What about building a new recreation center???
January 12, 2011 at 10:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
A question I asked, sometime ago has gone unanswered, so I will ask it again !
Why has the EBOE allowed our school building to decay and detiorate over years, instead of trying/demanding that they be maintained and kept in good condition each and every year, until now and would it not have been better for the EBOE and the taxpayers to have maintained these buildings as it was needed, instead of letting them fall apart, if indeed they are truely falling apart and which would have served the all children amd taxpayers more, a practice field/playing field carpet or needed school building maintenance/repairs ?
January 12, 2011 at 10:22 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
lyon,
bite you tongue !!! LOL
January 12, 2011 at 10:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
The buildings are not decaying meth.
Some just want brand new and so any little flaw turns into "walls falling in".
Remember when Mary Herbert was to small, not ada compliant, and horribly outdated? Go to the meeting tonight and check out that old decrepit building. looks pretty good to me.
January 12, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
Yeah, Steve, I know that Mary Herbert is as good as new now !
Strange how things are done in E town isn' t it ! Or maby not so strange to those of us who have been around a while !!!
I am one of those who do not just sit at home and take everyones word for things, especially if it involves taking money out of my pocket needlessly ! I get out, when possible, and attend meetings, check things out for myself, first hand !!! And I do so with my camera in tow, so I can document what I see !!!
January 12, 2011 at 10:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
eldiablo (anonymous) says...
I'm not sure some of you understand the real reason the schools are being closed.
Money. Not condition of the schools.
The costs of running the two Lowthers compared to what the costs will be with the 5th graders in the elementary schools and 6th graders in the middle school is significantly higher. Consolidating schools will save the district substantial amounts of money in the long run.
It's a no-brain decision and probably should have been done some time ago, rather than renovating and reopening the two Lowther buildings in the 90s.
January 12, 2011 at 10:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
lyon (anonymous) says...
I'm all for it!!! Now, what about a new recreation center, Emporia?
January 12, 2011 at 11:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nutsaboutools (anonymous) says...
This probably wouldn't have been necessary if Emporia had encouraged growth over the years, rather than keeping it "small" and protecting the local downtown businesses.
Families are getting smaller and there is very little to attract new families to Emporia. Hence enrollment is down, and teachers will probably lose jobs.
I'll be real surprised if they ever find a buyer. I'm sure it's behind in meeting all the codes necessary to be anything more than a warehouse (which may not meet zoning limitations where the schools are located).
Emporia really needs to stop stifling growth and start looking for means to attract bigger businesses (warehouses/transfer stations), consider the possibility of a passenger train station (options that will bring people, families & revenue to Emporia).
January 12, 2011 at 12:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mslater (Matt Slater) says...
Good News People!
2 new schools opened in Afghanistan this month!
January 12, 2011 at 12:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
Matt,
How many refrigerator boxes did it take?
Stay safe slick.
January 12, 2011 at 1:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mslater (Matt Slater) says...
Steve, not sure, haha, but then again, that wasn't my point, if you catch my meaning.
January 13, 2011 at 6:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )