School Construction

Journal excerpts:

"New Middletown Schools Superintendent Marlon Styles Jr. came away from a recent tour of the construction site impressed and confident the residents of Middletown will have the same reaction when they see the building’s on-going transformation during an upcoming open house Aug. 21"

"“This is a construction project that is purely about our community,”" said Styles, who in May was hired away from his roles as executive director of curriculum and instruction at Lakota Schools


“This is about opportunities for students and opportunities for the community…with construction of a facility that prepares our students for the future,” he said.


“It creates an academic environment will kids can be successful,” he said.


"The transformed high school and new middle school campus will double as a “community center” for moving the city’s next generation forward, he said."


"“It will mean just as much to the community as it will to our students and staff,” said Styles"


Glowing talk from the new superintendent. He's new and somewhat gullible right now but I know he has read the performance scores for this district over the last decade or more and has heard of the poor reputation gained over the years caused by a failure to change the ways of instruction while continuing with methods that have never worked.

I am not convinced that these new buildings, new modern technologies and current abilities of this school district will improve district performance as much as the new super and his supporters think it will. The new, more modern elementary schools didn't show improved performance. Haven't for years.

Did you see the photo of the "community room" in today's Journal article? Looks like a photo from a corporate building in a P&G complex than a lower middle class school system struggling in nearly all facets of educating kids. Do the school facilities need to be as extravagant as this to fulfill the need? Isn't this just a tad bit overblown as to what is needed? It would almost appear that they wanted a showplace in which to work rather than a facility in which to teach.

We shall see Mr. Superintendent if your enthusiasm is justified. The test scores in a year or two will tell all of us whether the taxpayer is rewarded with this "Taj Mahal" approach in facilities or has just taken another financial bath through the property tax increase and are getting nothing for their money as has been the case in the past.

Keep in mind Mr. Superintendent, this bond levy passed by the slimmest of margins at the voting booth. As many people who wanted this extravagant building plan were offset by almost as many people who thought this was a waste of time and money and didn't want their property taxes raised. The building supporters got what they wanted but just as many are unhappy about this whole ordeal.

Best of luck school people. We are waiting for any sign of academic improvement and have been for decades.

It is troubling to see school board people and educators more focused on the fancy facilities they work in and less focused on finding a successful plan to improve educating the kids.

Son and I drove past the old Middletown High School site the other day. Noticed the piles of brick and other rubble yet to be hauled off. Created a huge city block openness didn't it. (like old Roosevelt school on Central Ave., no doubt a site for new housing or yet another
Gilleland Green Space- LOL) Sad when we got around to the Wade E. Miller Gym site seeing only the steps remaining. A lot of history torn down here. Burying the past to me as the newer residents take over the town. A sadness for us older folks.

While on the subject of the Miller Gym, does anyone know if the basketball bankboards, scoreboards and rims were purchased and by whom? Just curious. I would presume all the trophies and flags went to the new gym long ago. Haven't gone to a game at the new gym as yet. Might be an interesting visit. Pictures of the new Wade Miller look state of the art in the newspaper. Fancy digs (Barnitz Stadium too) for a basketball team that, like the football team and the academics, has a long way to go to play catch up to the quality of the facilities. (just had to throw that in as I always do concerning the school/sports performances lately)