Dear Editor:
I wasn't surprised to see that the West Carroll School Board (or should I say, the superintendent) has re-opened the discussion on closing the high school building.
I subbed on Friday, Oct. 21, and got a copy of the master schedule. By my, admittedly unofficial, count, 14 rooms are still used six periods a day, with a few less than that.
While it is true that, with careful scheduling, those other few could use classrooms during other teachers' prep periods, actual rooms are needed for the 14. I don't mean hallways or closets or stages, I mean actual rooms.
Our students and teachers deserve nothing less. The main point, as I see it, is whether there are 14 vacant rooms in the other two buildings. If there are, then it is possible. If there are not, then it isn't. It isn't any harder than that. I never heard of a district trying to engineer overcrowding.
I am sure that the superintendent plans to combine or eliminate some of the smaller classes. Combining would lead to more conflicts in scheduling, and eliminating would give our students fewer options. They already have far fewer options than they had when we consolidated. Last year, we didn't offer calculus or Spanish 4. Spanish 4 isn't on the schedule this year either.
I think we are losing sight of the fact that our main purpose is to provide the educational opportunities our students need, and that means all of our students.
Kathy (Taylor) Eaton
Savanna
(Retired, veteran Savanna and West Carroll teacher)
