Have you heard of the serious problems Helena is having with their schools? In an article in the IR today, there’s talk of renovating Helena Middle School (itself a damaged Helena earthquake casualty) so that it can hold more students.
“According to the vision,” reporter Alexander Deedy writes, “a renovated HMS would not be ready for elementary students for eight to ten years.”
Well, so much for that idea, huh? I mean, already 2 years have gone by in which city officials have done nothing for Central School, all the while collecting their lavish paychecks. Those are the results you get with government – lots of expended payroll, little if anything to show for it.
But it’s the Queen City, the seat of our dysfunctional Montana government…what do you expect?
Maybe flowery words. Lisa Bullock gave a speech encouraging the school to be kept where it is, saying she went there and her kids went there.
Great, keep it, but let’s not waste two years pussy-footing around, and at taxpayer expense. And let’s not get into it being structurally unsound and the worst school around for miles, besides that old school out by Martin’s IGA.
“According to the vision,” reporter Alexander Deedy writes, “a renovated HMS would not be ready for elementary students for eight to ten years.”
Well, so much for that idea, huh? I mean, already 2 years have gone by in which city officials have done nothing for Central School, all the while collecting their lavish paychecks. Those are the results you get with government – lots of expended payroll, little if anything to show for it.
But it’s the Queen City, the seat of our dysfunctional Montana government…what do you expect?
Maybe flowery words. Lisa Bullock gave a speech encouraging the school to be kept where it is, saying she went there and her kids went there.
Great, keep it, but let’s not waste two years pussy-footing around, and at taxpayer expense. And let’s not get into it being structurally unsound and the worst school around for miles, besides that old school out by Martin’s IGA.
Old falling down brick building on Sierra Road in Helena
Since March of 2013 when Central School closed, students have been going to Lincoln School. Here’s a map of what that looks like:
Map of route from Central School to old, closed Lincoln School
Let’s think about the level of hassle that parents feel, parents that used to let their children walk to school. Now they have to let their kids walk 1.7 miles, or drive them. And how many are late to work because of trains?
It’ll be 2 years in March that this school has been closed. Now, I’m not arguing that we reopen a school that will fall down in the next earthquake – I’m simply arguing that wasting two years is a huge waste of money, shows how dumb we are, and shows businesses that Montana is the last place you want to set up shop.
It’ll be 2 years in March that this school has been closed. Now, I’m not arguing that we reopen a school that will fall down in the next earthquake – I’m simply arguing that wasting two years is a huge waste of money, shows how dumb we are, and shows businesses that Montana is the last place you want to set up shop.
Central school is listed on National Registry of Historic Places, so bulldozing the damn thing is near-impossible. But it can be done, so long as you have the Helena City Commission’s permission.
Let me tell you, as someone that walked down the hill that leads to the Gulch everyday on my way to the comic store, Central School is a huge eyesore.
Let me tell you, as someone that walked down the hill that leads to the Gulch everyday on my way to the comic store, Central School is a huge eyesore.
Lots of useless land here around Helena's Central School
This could be leveled and businesses that employ workers could be put in.
Look at this great corner location, completely wasted (who says the tree has to go?)
It’s got it’s back-half on this hill, which is elevated about 10 feet or so off the ground of Cruse Avenue, a street that never gets any use but cost one helluva pretty penny to build. That’s the kind of planning mentality we’ve had in Helena going back decades.
How will this Central School mess turn out any different? Right now there are some yahoos getting signatures for a petition to keep the school open, which just isn’t an option because it’s not safe (that’s why it was closed suddenly nearly 2 years ago).
So far the people have gathered 386 signatures to keep the school open, though I think those results are rather abysmal. Still, they resulted in the cancellation of the bond issue that might have done something to solve this issue. It’s also fair to point out that Helena has to tax to solve problems because they don’t have the needed resources on hand to do it.
How will this Central School mess turn out any different? Right now there are some yahoos getting signatures for a petition to keep the school open, which just isn’t an option because it’s not safe (that’s why it was closed suddenly nearly 2 years ago).
So far the people have gathered 386 signatures to keep the school open, though I think those results are rather abysmal. Still, they resulted in the cancellation of the bond issue that might have done something to solve this issue. It’s also fair to point out that Helena has to tax to solve problems because they don’t have the needed resources on hand to do it.
But let’s get back to that Lincoln School Campus. You might notice from that map that I use Lincoln Park – that’s because Lincoln School doesn’t exist anymore.
Oh, it’s still there alright, but it’s closed. Yeah, I should have put a disclaimer on this story that things make little if any sense – I’m sorry about that.
The thing is, they’re not even opening up Lincoln School to use, they’re instead having students sitting in modulars.
What the hell is a modular?
Oh, it’s still there alright, but it’s closed. Yeah, I should have put a disclaimer on this story that things make little if any sense – I’m sorry about that.
The thing is, they’re not even opening up Lincoln School to use, they’re instead having students sitting in modulars.
What the hell is a modular?
Can't we hitch these to trucks and move them?
Yeah, it’s a trailer. But remember that earthquake I mentioned? Helena has a long tradition of sending its students to crappy schools, as we did after the Helena big one (two actually) in ‘35, when people like my grandpa had to go their last couple years in boxcars.
At least then we had an earthquake – in 2013 we just had a scare…if you even want to call it that. And like one person in the article asks, why the hell are those trailers not over on the Central School property, where they might be a little more convenient for parents?
Because closing Central School isn’t really about convenience, at least not for parents. No, it’s about what’s convenient for administrators and bureaucrats. And let’s not get into the idea of getting rid of that huge swath of land and putting apartments, businesses or other economy-boosters there. After all, how many closed and abandoned schools does Helena need? How many strolls down memory lane do wealthy Helena citizens need? How much does our nostalgia have to cost our future?
It’s clear that the decision making involving Central School has been taken from the parents’ hands. 2 years and nothing has been done? Talk about a failure of local government.
At least then we had an earthquake – in 2013 we just had a scare…if you even want to call it that. And like one person in the article asks, why the hell are those trailers not over on the Central School property, where they might be a little more convenient for parents?
Because closing Central School isn’t really about convenience, at least not for parents. No, it’s about what’s convenient for administrators and bureaucrats. And let’s not get into the idea of getting rid of that huge swath of land and putting apartments, businesses or other economy-boosters there. After all, how many closed and abandoned schools does Helena need? How many strolls down memory lane do wealthy Helena citizens need? How much does our nostalgia have to cost our future?
It’s clear that the decision making involving Central School has been taken from the parents’ hands. 2 years and nothing has been done? Talk about a failure of local government.
