 |
CAT Tracks for March 31, 2022
CSD 'FIELD OF DREAMS' |
Cairo School District Number One will conduct a "Community Meeting" beginning at 5:30 p.m. on April 5th because "We want to hear from our Stakeholders about Community Thoughts and Concerns as we move forward in our School District". The meeting will be moderated by "Dr. Patrick Rice, Superintendent Cairo School District #1".
Speculation is that this "Community Meeting" is a legal hurdle that must be completed before the District embarks upon construction of a new multi-purpose building to house a new vocational program for the District as well as new administrative offices for the Superintendent.
Even if it were not a legal requirement, the "Community Meeting", is warranted because of the outpouring of "Stakeholders" at the last Regular BOE Meeting who voiced skepticism about the project and questioned recent grants and bond renewals. Guess it's time for the hard sell.
The official announcement posted on the Cairo School District Number One Facebook page:
CAT Tracks Editor's Note: I voiced my concerns (my catty commentary), in my write-up of the March 17th Regular Meeting:
I mean, a school district which has seen its student population dwindle from over a thousand to less than 300 needs to construct a new multi-purpose building? A building allegedly for vocational purposes, when the vocational programs offered by the District died years ago due to a lack of student interest! Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it.
Plus, rumor has it that the real reason for the new building is to provide a new suite of offices for the PART-TIME Superintendent. Wasn't a new two-year contract enough?
BTW: Wasn't it just a few years back that the "green hallway" classrooms - that used to house, you guessed it, the vocational programs - were remodeled to provide new administrative offices. Yes!
Well, I guess when students don't sign up for those new vocational classes, it'll be more room for the Superintendent!
Bears repeating: The not knowing your history thing...
About the title of this post...
It's an obscure reference to a 33-year-old movie, in which a farmer risks bankruptcy by plowing under his corn crop in order to build a baseball field in hopes of enticing his deceased father and deceased members of the Chicago "Black Sox" into coming back for a final game of ball.
Well, I think that is just so apropos.
In a school district that has shrunken to less than 300 students (from the 1200 when I started)...
...in a school district that has closed a central office building and two attendance centers (which now sit boarded up and empty...
...in a school district that did away with its vocational programs (both home economics and industrial arts) because students wouldn't sign up for them...
...well, hell, let's construct a new building to house vocational programs and the central office.
Yes...
"If you build it, they will come."
CAT Tracks Editor's Note: "Much discussion"? I'd call it RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION!
