An Open Door is not Always a “Good Opportunity”
In a recent Board Of Education meeting we were presented with a “great opportunity.” This opportunity had many costs and a potentially unsustainable future. Just because there is an open door, doesn’t mean it is a great opportunity.
This opportunity is to transform Porterdale Elementary School into a K-5th grade Performing and Liberal Arts Academy. See, it sounds great!
I made a living as a performing artist for years, so I have a great appreciation for the arts. My girls participated in ballet with the Covington Regional Ballet and the Newton County Arts Association. Again, I am FOR the arts! But my concern is the timing.
I first heard about this opportunity in a Board presentation in the open meeting on March 15, 2022. After the presentation I was allowed to ask some questions and voice some concerns that I have about the timing of this initiative. Then, in a confusing turn of events, we were asked to vote to approve the project. But I abstained from voting on this, and here’s why:
First, I had JUST HEARD about this expensive and new project. Like, literally, I had just heard about it for the first time. How could I possibly vote on something so big and complex after a 30 minute presentation? I felt like I was on the spot and couldn’t in good conscious make a well-informed decision about the project. So, we were able to make a new motion to approve “continuing research only, no financial obligation, and not approval of the entire project.” Basically, I did not see why we needed to vote on a presentation of research.
Next, 450 current students at Porterdale would be relocated to other elementary schools (namely: Live Oak, South Salem, Livingston, and West Newton.) With the current growth that is happening on the west side of the county, this seems like an ill-sighted plan. Why would we fill-up four other school buildings in order to create this speciality school for Performing Arts? According to building projections, we would be over-crowded in those elementary schools in no time. What then? Shut the Performing Arts Academy down and move kids back into Porterdale?
Porterdale is also the home to our “self-contained” special needs students. What provision will be made for them? Will they be relocated too? Is that what’s best for them? I don’t believe we received a sufficient answer to that question yet.
Lastly, the presentation combined the transition of the Newton County Theme School to a STEAM theme with this opportunity to create the Performing Arts Academy. I am all for the NCTS continuing its good work as it moves into the old Eastside High School and becoming a STEAM/STEM pathway for the Newton College & Career Academy. But I’m not sure about the Performing Arts Academy yet. So, I didn’t think they needed to be combined for voting purposes. I’d love to see the Board be able to vote on the two projects separately.
Again, I want to reiterate that I love the arts and I believe in the arts. I’m just not sure this is the best use of taxpayer dollars at this point in time. I believe this is an initiative you endeavor when you’ve taken care of the basics and have a few extra dollars in your account because you’ve trimmed expenses in other areas. If this is something we value, then we need to FIND the room in our general budget to make it happen, not add on costs because we have a “great opportunity.”
I want to do what is best for the kids in our community along with the teachers, parents, and citizens. And sometimes an open door doesn’t mean you should just walk right through it. We must count the costs.
If the Board moves forward with this project, I will do my best to support it and cheer it on. I want to see these kids succeed. And I’ll get back to work on ways we can trim the budget in order to keep from continuing to burden the taxpayers.
I welcome your thoughts and ideas on the Performing & Liberal Arts Acdamey along with anything else in this post. Click the envelope at the top and send me an email. I’d love to hear from you.
