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Relative to the current and projected use of the technology required for a modern education, both
the Lincoln School and Fairview School are obsolete, and, if new, could not support the demands of the
education technology required today. The buildings are obsolete, in a time of declining enrollment, higher
energy prices, higher operating expenses, major building deterioration, higher technology requirements,
greater safety and security concerns, ... The list is almost endless.
Lincoln School was built in 1931. It is cost prohibitive to renovate the building to meet the demands of federal legislation, state legislation, and the demands of modern technology to provide a safe and healthy teaching environment consistent with the requirements of modern curricula. Fairview School was built in 1954. If the February 26 bond proposal is defeated, then the 47 year old Fairview School could be replaced or renovated. Renovation would provide improved teaching and learning facilities consistent with current higher standards, nearly a half century after the school was built. Lakeside School was built in 1967, in the now discredited "open style". It needs some renovation, also, to provide a teaching and learning environment more appropriate for 21st century requirements. It lends itself to renovation, more easily, due to its basic design, use, lesser age, location, and considered future use for administration, preschool and kindergarten purposes. Manistique High School was opened in 1976 and, twenty six years later, requires a significant amount of renovation and upgrading due to overall deterioration and the requirements of modern curricula. Manistique High School grandstand, track and field facilities, built in 1937, are used for physical education and intramural events. They need to be replaced because the facilities are obsolete or deteriorated beyond economical repair, due to natural forces. As a result of the passage of ballot Manistique Track and field ballot proposition 2, on 02/26/02, Schoolcrtaft County residents approved construction of new athletic field, track and grandstand facilities. The new Manistique High School track and field panorama images, 260KB each: 05/21/03, 06/23/03 ... Budgeted daily operation and maintenance of existing facilities, funded by property taxes, does not fund new buildings, or major renovation. Separate millages must be voted to fund replacement or major renovation. The established system allows voters to choose whether educational facilities should be upgraded to meet the new demands of a rapidly changing technological society, so that today's students will, in the future, be able to help provide and secure the best standard of living in the world; for everyone. Renovation is required to upgrade the buildings to meet the demands of modern educational curricula, increase student safety, increase property security, improve energy efficiency and counter major age related deterioration to roofs, heating systems, plumbing, wiring, etc., of inadequate and poorly insulated buildings. The photographs and text, of associated pages, detail some obvious problems, of both Fairview and Lakeside School, that are best remedied by building replacement, or renovation, to meet the current and future educational needs of Schoolcraft County's grades 1-6 children. The Manistique Area Schools Board has determined, with the qualified and experienced professional architect, Donald E. Morgridge, that, if the voters of Schoolcraft County want the best value for money, then Fairview School should be replaced, along with Lincoln School, by a single consolidated middle school addition to the Lakeside School site. That proposed new school addition offers economy of scale, location and design. It will have educational facilities to meet the known economic and educational demands of the future. Some of Mr. Morgridge's educational building related accomplishments were recorded at the M.D.E.'s ballot proposal results pages: http://www.state.mi.us/mde/off/board/results/sbl.htm Those results have been lost in, or omitted from, the state's redesigned: Michigan Dept. of Education web site It has one of the most "brain dead" search engines I have ever encountered. If someone should find the pages, I would appreciate the new URL to include on this page. The proposed new school will provide grades 1-6 children with opportunities for a fuller education to meet a more competitive future. A new school facility is an investment in Schoolcraft's youth and future that all have a responsibility to support, as those that came before did for us. To keep everything in perspective, everyone's retirement and well being depends on today's students keeping the U.S.A. at the top of the world's economic and military power structure. |
