The students who walk into their Vigo County school buildings possess vast potential.
Gifted teachers, principals, counselors, aides and support staff excel at their duties in those buildings and help those students reach that vast potential.
But the many of the physical structures that house those lessons and activities are weathered and outdated. And the condition of those buildings often deters new business and residents from moving into Vigo County.
Current and future generations of Vigo County’s young people deserve a 21st-century educational experience. A new plan has been outlined to do just that.
Unless the community is ready to resign itself to a continuation of its ongoing decline in population, incomes and standard of living, the county’s school buildings must be modernized.
A 2022 referendum on a $261-million renovation and rebuilding of the Vigo County School Corporation’s three high schools and West Vigo Middle School would have answered the facilities’ most pressing dilemma. The No. 1 problem is the aging status of Terre Haute North and Terre Haute South high schools (both built from 1969 through 1971 in lowest-cost fashion) and venerable West Vigo High School, built in 1959 and ’60.
Such an upgrade, along with West Vigo Middle School, would have raised the community’s bar on its overall school facilities and invited more employers and employees. It was not perfect, but it would have ushered growth in the county and created desire in young kids to become high schoolers.
That referendum was roundly defeated.
Three years later, the VCSC has unfolded a new plan — still evolving — that the district views as more comprehensive. The proposal will also cost money, though its pricetag has not yet been formulated. It is longterm, with the changes happening over a three- to seven-year period. It involves consolidation — which was inevitable after the rejection of the three-high-school plan in 2022 — and includes big changes at each level of schools.
It needs to happen, though. The Vigo County School Board voted unanimously on Monday to take the next steps toward a broad consolidation and reorganization that would downsize the number of buildings to two high schools (from the current three), four middle schools (instead of five) and 10 elementaries (rather than 15).
Davis Park, Hoosier Prairie, Ouabache and Rio Grande elementaries would close. North and South high schools would merge into one new facility, and those buildings would be renovated into two middle schools. Sugar Creek Elementary would be repurposed into a middle school. Honey Creek, Otter Creek and Sarah Scott middle schools would become elementaries. Farrington Grove Elementary would be an alternative school, and Dixie Bee a career-technical education center within walking distance of Ivy Tech.
The community should give the proposal clear-eyed consideration and seek verified information as it takes shape. Sourceless social-media scuttlebutt is everywhere, but does not lead to well-informed decisions, as was the case in 2022.
Consolidation sparks emotions and nostalgic ties, and passionate support of the neighborhood public schools is not only understandable but important. Local schools are the foundation of a community. Its prosperity, quality of life and future rely upon the neighborhood schools. High schools are a community’s calling card to its residents and outside world, and their strength and condition represent a county’s commitment to its future.
Right now, the local school facilities are not inviting to newcomers. Vigo County Commissioner Mark Clinkenbeard summarized the situation well in an interview with the Tribune-Star’s David Kronke on Wednesday.
“The fact is, schools — particularly our high schools — are the biggest thing holding our economic development back and our community back and why people aren’t moving here or bringing their kids here or staying here,” Clinkenbeard said. “It’s a big deal. It’s one of the biggest things this community is going to tackle probably in the [next] couple of decades.
“Now that the school board has a plan, they can start heading in the direction of figuring out a price tag,” Clinkenbeard added. “Right now, they’ve got to figure out the funding.”
He is right. This must be done efficiently and prudently. But it must be done.
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