The District 113 Referendum; What you should consider in your decision.

I want to start by saying that this is not meant to bash the administration of the District in any way. I believe that the teachers and administration of D113 are incredible. The caliber of work they do, with the facilities we have, is nothing short of miracle work. I believe that every single faculty member at HPHS is the best there is and the problems that face the learning experience do not have anything to do with them. Except for the fact that without them it would be exponentially worse.

Everyone on each side of this debate raises valid points. But of all the posts I've seen, besides Bryce, none of you have attended HPHS during the time that these buildings have been falling apart, excuse me, unusable. I understand that many of you have students or have had students at HPHS but you cannot grasp how desperate the need for improvements are unless you are a student (you can get some sense from a tour, I highly encourage anyone with questions to take one!).

1. The swimming pool - Swimming is something that is meant to be fun! Understandably, students don’t want to have wet hair throughout the day but the main reason that EVERY STUDENT at HPHS dreads swimming is because the pool is disgusting, the filtration systems are horribly ineffective and the pool is falling apart. The maintenance staff has done incredible work on that pool and there is just simply nothing more that can be done.  In order to meet CSL regulations the pool has to have a 12ft diving well. Due to the fact that our diving well is only 10.6 feet, many schools refuse to compete at HPHS.

I encourage you to watch this video.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=579757425369310&set=vb.462369157165...   The swimmers are swimming feet to hands and look like fish in a tank.

At the average high school on the North Shore, 50% of students are involved with extracurricular athletics. At HPHS that number is 89%, 9 in 10 students.

2. The Gym - Now, while HPHS does have two gyms and the indoor track they do not even come close to the needs of the school. During a typical gym class students have 5 minutes to change at the beginning and at the end of class leaving 32 minutes of instructional time. Many gym classes that use locations such as the Yoga room, Gymnastics Gym, or Wrestling gym. Back and forth travel time between these locations and the locker rooms can be up to 7 minutes reducing instructional time to only 25 minutes. With regards to the indoor track, it is brutal down there. During any class period there can be up to 8 gym classes in there at a time. During the warm seasons, the room is upwards of 85-90 degrees due to the amount of body heat.

3. General Improvements - The B building is absolutely disgusting. The walls in the stairways are literally falling apart. The classrooms are fine during the summer but are FREEZING during the winter. Not to mention that they're TINY. As far as stairways in general go, The main stairway in A hallway during a passing period is worse than the 405 in LA during rush hour, and the auditorium/b building connection is no better. If I used those staircases, I would not be on time to one of my classes.

4. Accessibility - At HPHS there are 44 different levels. Many of these levels are not accessible to disabled students/community members. For example, the pool has absolutely no wheel chair accommodations except for ON THE DECK OF THE POOL. Which is already tiny as it is. Besides people who are disabled, If a student has a class in the B400 hallway and a 2nd floor science class after that, they have to go down 4 stories of stairs, through the impossible connection between the Auditorium and B hallway, through the auditorium lobby (yes, the lobby to enter the auditorium is one of the busiest hallways.), through the auditorium foyer, up the stairs to the second floor of G hallway, and possibly the room which is the farthest North in the entire school. Now, if a student is in A343 or A342 that situation is the same but add about 2-3 more minutes just to get to the B stairway.

As a high school student I can only understand so much about finance. While I do have a strong grasp of the concept, if the referendum passes it is not my debt to pay.  But, as a high school student I can tell you with complete certainty that if it is not passed, the school will literally fall apart. These issues are only going to get worse with time, and if it doesn’t pass, I do not see the School Board approving another plan. If this doesn’t happen now, it is only going to get worse and worse not to mention more expensive. These changes HAVE to be made and the more we "Band-Aid" the awful systems and cram students into every corner of the building, the more it will cost. I know that many people who plan to vote no are caught up in the money and I do understand that that is important. But, you need to think about whom this referendum will help. The students are the most important part of a High School, and the most important things that the students do are learn and just be students. If these upgrades are not made neither will be possible. Obviously this referendum will not change anything about my life in High School. But, I can say with complete certainty that your younger children and your children's children will not have anything close to the learning experience that they would have if this is passed, or even close to the experience I had. And without this referendum, it won’t improve. I don’t want to sound like I am calling out to your wallets. I want to call out to your compassion. Without this referendum the younger children in this community will suffer from the lack of a sufficient High School. HPHS is known for its rigor and the achievement of its students. There is absolutely no reason that the building should not reflect that achievement. HPHS should be known for  the achievements of its students, AND the commitment of the community to their success and giving them (plan 1 would have been everything they need) what they need to increase that success.

Please vote YES on April 9th, 2013 for the District 113 referendum. If you’ve made it this far thank you for your interest and consideration of all opinions.