Spending is all about priorities. The question you should ask (and you should ask), is, are the priorities represented in the proposed Stevensville School Bond the right spending priorities for you and your children? If you are familiar with the school, then you know there are significant needs. You, as voters, have to assess if the proposed bond addresses the most pressing needs in a fair and prioritized fashion, without dramatically increasing taxes in an unreasonable manner. What are you willing to support with your hard earned tax dollars?
The proposed upgrades and additions to the elementary school make sense and are needed. Vote “Yes” on the elementary bond. The high school and the athletic complex priorities, however, do not pass the common sense test. There is roughly $5.4 million in improvements planned for the high school, yet only $3.1 million have real justification (differed maintenance, restrooms, new high school drop off/parking lot). Do we really need to spend over a million dollars to open the roof of the library and other areas to let in better lighting? How does a different entrance and new admin offices add to the safety and security of the school? Threats to schools in the modern era come from within; a new entrance will not significantly increase security. The plans for the athletic complex are no better. This proposal, if passed, would spend roughly $2.48 million to the direct benefit of only two sports (track and tennis).
Most high schools across the United States operate under the assumption that athletic programs are a fundamental part of the high school educational experience. The issue that is often debated is how schools prioritize spending on athletics versus academics. Is it reasonable to assume that all voters should bear the cost of new athletic facilities if they don’t have students who participate in those programs? Within the Bitterroot you’ll see a variety of solutions at work. Corvallis recently passed a bond to purchase more land, but in the years prior to that they developed an athletic complex based on private fund raising. Hamilton, perhaps the other end of the spectrum, is in the process of adding significantly to their athletic facilities based exclusively on tax support.
The current Stevensville bond assumes that the voters will support dramatic improvements for only a select number of athletic programs. Approximately $2.48 million of the combined bond (high school and elementary) will focus on directly benefiting track and tennis (new track $1.05 million, tennis courts $360k). The remainder will be various improvements that do not directly relate to improved performance, rather, the plan improves the conditions under which athletes and fans experience their competitions (locker rooms, stands, and concessions). These improvements are needed, but do they need to be this expensive, and should taxpayers shoulder the burden of the cost, or could it be covered through private fund raising? What about focusing on a project that would benefit all sports as well as many PE classes?
The project that would have been a higher priority, and would have made a direct positive impact on every sport, was a new weight room. If you want to improve athletics at Stevensville, it starts with the basics: coaching and strength training. Multiple coaches and PE teachers have attempted to emphasize the importance of strength training for all of the athletic programs, as well as the general health benefits for all students (through PE classes). The truth is, the current weight room does not safely support weight training across all sports. Based on national standards, you can safely fit roughly 10-15 students in the current weight room at a time.
In 2014, a plan was developed that would have focused on a privately funded building that would have doubled the size of the current weight room, and added a large multi-purpose room capable of hosting a number of indoor sports practice arrangements for approximately $350,000. That plan was put on hold, so that it would not compete with the current bond, with the assurance that these plans would be included in the new overall plan (but the weight room was dropped). This brings us back to the original argument. Should the future of Stevensville athletic facilities be reliant wholly on taxpayer support, and if so, shouldn’t proposed improvements be prioritized based on need and overall impact?
There are at least 12 different athletic programs at Stevensville. If we applied a similar logic or priority to a large family with multiple children involved in a variety of athletic programs, this would be the equivalent of buying the most expensive sport specific shoes for one of five children. Does a fancy shoe make the one student a better athlete? No. Providing an opportunity for all the students to work on their basic athletic strength would make more of our athletes competitive regardless of their sport, and provide more opportunities for students who are not in sports. A weight room would reinforce the basic principle of hard work and dedication. It would reduce injuries for all sports. It would be a fair investment for all the students of the school, not just a few.
There are those who sigh and offer that although this is not a perfect plan, it is the only one we have, so we should just approve it. Don’t accept a bad plan. Send them back to the drawing board, re-prioritize based on the needs of all students/athletes. Vote “No” on the high school portion of the bond.
Ted Adams
Corvallis
Carolyn Cook says
Mr. Adams:
I was pleased when you joined the teaching staff at Stevensville High School. I heard many good things about your teaching and felt you were an asset to our school. When you also wanted to start a wrestling program, I thought it was a very noble thing to do as a volunteer. However, at that time it was brought up that the school didn’t really have funds for another sport even if it was started with donations. The ongoing costs of the program were a concern. You assured everyone that you could find used equipment and the facility was workable. Of course as time went on, you wanted more and more for your program. Like many coaches, I think you became tunneled in on your sport and its importance. My grandson did benefit a great deal from the wrestling program and I applaud the work you have done. That being said, I am very disappointed in how you are trying to influence the Stevensville community to oppose the school bond. As a government teacher, you are well aware that a school bond is about the only time citizens have a say in increasing their taxes or not, It is a very difficult job to educate the community on the needs of the school and a reason to increase their taxes. I think it is pretty obvious to the community you are displaying a definite self-interest and lack of support for the rest of the school in the course you have determined to follow. As you said it is good to have discussion (which has been ongoing for sometime) on the bond. I don’t feel that is the true motive of your editorial.
You suggested using private fundraising in paying for the improvements for the complex. Evidently you ae not aware that the land and the majority of the improvements at the complex were paid by private fundraising and volunteers. You mentioned you have put in countless hours working, volunteering and spending your own money to ensure that academics as well as the athletic programs are successful. Let me assure you that many staff members, retired and still working have done the same as well as many members of the community. As a retired staff member, parent of three students who graduated from Stevensville and went on to graduate from college, grandparent of current and graduated grandchildren and a volunteer who helped raise funds and actually worked on the complex for not just hours but years, I feel you need a little history lesson. In 1982, the Stevensville Booster Club decided to purchase ten acres of land and work at developing an athletic complex. Four members signed a note at a local bank for $55,000 and through the Booster Club members working at countless fundraisers for over 7 years, the loan was paid off with a final total of $61,806.92 including interest. Thousands of hours of work was donated by students, community and business members and Booster Club members to improve the facility. In 1989 the land was deeded to the school with a completed football field and track. The bleachers which now need to be replaced, were given to the Booster Club when they were torn down at Dornblazer field at the University of Montana. They were being replaced and were old at that time having been originally placed there in 1968. The track, tennis and football teams have had to make due with no running water, no locker rooms and outdoor toilets for these many years. I think it is time for these teams to have the convenience of these basic items which are part of the bond. Your wrestling program has been in existence for a short period of time compared to the other sports and it would be great if you could have everything you want for your program. However, I think you need to look at the overall sports programs at Stevensville and see that other sports have waited years to get the things they want. Your comments on the number of students benefitting from the bond is somewhat misleading. Not only does it benefit high school tennis and track but also junior high sports and elementary and high school P.E. classes. Football and soccer will also benefit. The number of high school students in track is 36, tennis has 24, football had 38 and soccer had 36. Wrestling had 15.
Since you hold the communities of Corvallis and Hamilton is such high regard and since you already live in Corvallis and support their tax base, perhaps you should consider working there too.
I hope the members of the Stevensville Community will not be influenced by your negativism and vote yes for both the high school and elementary school bonds not just for the benefits to the sports programs, but for all the improvements for students, staff and community.
Carolyn Cook
Stevensville resident and tax payer.
Tammy Johnson says
When I read Mr. Adam comment about the school bond I was very disheartened by his words. I know that Ted is very vested in his wrestling program and I commend him for that but I feel he is being a bit selfish. He and his team do have a place to practice. It may be inconvenient to roll the mats out everyday but unlike some of the other sports, he should feel fortunate. I coached cheerleading at Stevensville for 30 years and we practiced in the foyer of the gym in front of glass trophy cabinets. My daughter knows first hand what it’s like to practice at our track facility. She was a two time state champion in the long and triple jump and the only days she got to practice her techniques or jumping what so ever was once a week when they transported the athletes down to use Corvallis’s track. It frustrates me that she wasn’t given the opportunity to reach her full potential.
This bond is about taking care of the most important issues. The school board didn’t just pull items out of a hat and decide to do those things. There were endless meetings with professional architects to guide in addressing the most important and most urgent needs.
I have been a teacher at Stevensville for 35 years. It has a special place in my heart as well as the students and staff do. In the 35 years, I can testify that there hasn’t been one single improvement to the high school building. I have repainted my own room three times to try and give my students a better environment to learn in.
Please think twice before you mail in your ballot. Our children deserve better than what we are currently giving them. Please Vote YES .
Tammy Johnson
SHS Math teacher
Kelsy Wark says
I love seeing all the positive comments on this post. I have two young children that will definitely benefit from these bonds passing. I also have a husband that teaches in Stevensville and would love for him to have a safer environment to work in. No it’s not perfect but it is a tremendous step in the right direction. I have attended a few different community meetings and am blown away at the transparency Dr. Moore has offered compared to some other superintendents. I VOTE YES!
Ted Adams says
It is good to see the passionate discussion regarding the bond proposal. That was the intent of my letter. I felt like any “discussion” that had occurred previously was simply a check in the box during the planning phase. Once planning moved beyond the good idea stage, all discussion ended. This is important enough that it should be debated and discussed at length.
Yes, I live in Corvallis, but I teach and coach in Stevensville and feel like I have a vested interest in what happens with the future of the school. I have invested countless hours working, volunteering, and spending my own money to ensure that academics as well as athletic programs are successful. I felt like I had the right to have my opinion heard. I am not the only one within the school who felt this way; I was just the only one who felt like they could come forward.
The root of my question regarding priorities was focused on the athletic complex because it seemed the most lopsided in terms of justification. Note that not once did I make a comment about not getting a new wrestling practice room. I had made plans years ago to work on my own to raise private donations to build a new wrestling practice room. My question is whether voters should shoulder the burden of the cost of improvements that go predominately to two sports. Should private fundraising be an option for those facilities as well? If the majority of voters say they are willing to pay for dramatic improvements for mostly two sports, then I am fine with that, but they need to hear both sides of the story.
There are aspects of the high school bond that I agree with, but I don’t agree with the overall plan. I did not criticize all of the planned improvements, just those that don’t make any financial sense. Part of the plan calls for improvements to the science classrooms, and the differed maintenance, as well as a student commons (what the students wanted the most). Those make sense, but if you are focused on safety, lets improve the library while also making it a capable Shelter In Place (SIP) space. High occupancy buildings like schools are supposed to have a location where students and teachers can be protected in natural (high winds/storms), and man caused emergencies. If you make the roof of the library a glassed in atrium you take away one of the few spaces within the school that might serve as a SIP.
I highly recommend people view the presentation on the school website, especially the cost breakdown of the major elements of the bond. If you still think it is a good plan, great, at least we’ve had a civil debate based on the merits of the plan.
Chris Newman says
Mr. Adams…as I read your reply, I asked myself, “Why, as a Corvallis resident, does Ted Adams feel the need to raise the question of if Stevensville taxpayers should “shoulder the burden” of making our athletic facilities a safer and better place for our kids and community?” Honestly, the only thing I could come up with is sour grapes, i.e. you didn’t get what you wanted so you’re going to attempt to sink the ship. I don’t see any other reason since you personally will not realize any financial impact from this bond. And, though you didn’t come out and say it in your post about the wrestling gym, enough folks have heard your pleas to feel confident that there’s an underlying motive being pushed. Don’t get me wrong, I do believe you care about the students. In fact, I’ve seen it first hand, but sometimes judgement can become cloudy when a person is passionate about a singular issue.
I do not believe your claim that the portion of the bond relating to athletic facilities only serves to benefit two sports is correct. Yes, tennis and track will see huge benefits from this bond, but other sports and our community will also benefit from these improvements. Heck, as of right now, the football grandstands have been condemned for fear of structural failure. And is it too much to ask to have locker rooms, running water and sewer at our athletic facilities that will be used by multiple extracurricular activities? Should we just scrap the whole thing because every extracurricular activity is not seeing a “direct” impact?
A thorough process determined what are the top priorities in this bond request and unfortunately, from a financial standpoint, every program can not fit in the top priority category.
And one last thing…if we lived in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, etc. I’d buy in to the shelter in place notion. It’s difficult not to feel that you’re just throwing anything negative you can out there, regardless of merit, and hoping it will stick. I know our community is smart enough to see through that!
I’m not going to again list all of the incredible benefits, above and beyond the extracurriculars, that this bond will provide for the students and our community. (See my previous post or visit the school’s website). No bond is perfect, but this one is darn close. Stevensville…let’s not, as Mr. Adams is suggesting, throw the baby out with the bath water!
Chris Newman says
Wow, Mr. Adams! I’ve never misread the intentions of someone more than I have with you. And I can’t believe the selfishness and shortsightedness that you have publicly displayed. But, you have that right…and so do I. Here’s my $.02. Plans for a levy of this magnitude don’t happen overnight and are not taken lightly. Superintendent Dr. Moore and his staff have done everything within their power to include the input and suggestions from the Board, Administration, Teachers and the Community in this plan. Is it perfect? No. Will it satisfy everyone? No. And if you answered yes to the aforementioned questions, then you are living in a world of rainbows and unicorns. What this high school levy will provide is:
-A much higher level of security for our school and the students. And I can say this from my knowledge of current, national best practices in armed intruder/active shooter procedures and protocols.
-Compliant ADA accessibility.
-More classrooms for an already overcrowded and growing school and a much needed remodel of the library and courtyard, among other areas.
-Desperately needed upgrades and/or replacements of failing boilers, lighting, electrical systems, ventilation fans and restrooms; windows that are falling apart and other infrastructure in desperate need of repair. These are projects that have been put off for years, if not decades, because of the lack of funding.
-Increased and safer parking areas. The fact that a student has not been injured or killed because of the current configuration is a miracle in itself.
-Improved and safer athletic facilities for both the student athletes and the Stevensville fans.
The above list is not all-inclusive of the many benefits of this levy request, but I think you get the point. And let’s not forget that an additional 20 million dollars in upgrades, additions and improvements, above and beyond what is being asked for, was identified. What is being requested are the necessities. The school district is doing their best to use the taxpayers money as prudently and wisely as possible.
I’m the parent of two Stevi High School students and a softball coach at Stevensville High School. Would I like to see a better softball complex and a better weight room? Heck yeah I would! Would I like to see you get your wrestling gym? Heck yeah I would! But will I be so selfish as to not see and support the incredible benefits that this levy will provide to the Stevensville youth, all because the plan does not fit perfectly into what I want? Not a chance! We all had an opportunity to provide input and argue our case for our “pet projects”. A lot of painstaking thought and planning went into the final decision. I provided my input and now I will support the plan 100%. For $5-$10 a month, I can do without a latte or two if it will have a profoundly positive effect on the students of Stevensville. They are, after all, our future and they deserve better! I will vote YES!
Chelle Fry says
Thank you, Chris Newman, for pointing out the positive aspects of the high school bond. As a community, we need to support the safety of ALL of our students and staff. This is what is first and foremost addressed in the high school bond. VOTE YES!
Pam Johnson says
Well said, Chris. I’m grateful to the efforts of past and present board members, administrators, faculty, staff, students, and community members who strive together to improve our schools. Vote Yes!
Cliff Wallace says
Wow, what a letter. Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t you live in Corvallis Ted? And yes you do teach in Stevensville. But, after 15+ years of being in the maintenance department and living in Stevensville, I think this is a great thing for our school. But just because you aren’t getting what you want doesn’t give you the right to influence people on their right to choose what they want. Be happy for what’s being proposed to help all levels of Stevensville schools, its about all the students, all the staff. Not just what one person wants….
chris d mclaughlin says
As a former coach I understand the importance of a weight room, and having spent some time in the Stevensville version of a weight room, it is in dire need of updating. However, the multitude of repairs/updates our school needs brings to mind the old joke, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” We need to approve this bond, get this first round of improvements completed and approve the next bond that address Mr. Adams concerns. The football field grandstands are unsafe and need to be replaced, the track is laughable for a class A program. We need to take pride in our school and its facilities, it should be the jewel of our community, something the people of Stevensville can hang their hat on. We need a school our kids will be proud to represent as they move on to college. A school that makes graduates want to comeback and raise their family here, so their children have the access to the same top notch education and facilities that they had. We have the control to give this gift to our children, our grandchildren, and every family who is lucky enough to raise their family in Stevensville. Please join me in voting Yes!
Lacey McCormick says
So let me get this straight, if a weight room was included in this bond then you’d be in full support? Even if it added millions to the current price? But because you didn’t get what you wanted, you are speaking out against something that this school district desperately needs? Does the school currently have a weight room? Is there a safe place to practice and hold tournaments? Do you know what the previous weight room consisted of? Are you aware of the caliber of athletes who were produced from a combination of that closet used as a weight room, dedicated student athletes and coaching staff, supportive teachers, parents, student body and community? I do not believe that providing a track and safe tennis courts is asking too much.
The other issues are no brainers to me if you sat through a presentation and looked at our current security issues and over due maintenance. Why would we continue to kick the can down road like has been done in so many years past? Who is going to stand up and say enough and work together to fix this for the current and future students of this great school? VOTE YES!!
Amanda Smith says
Ted first off thank you for supporting the elementary bond.
As for the High School, as a parent and past alumni of Stevensville High School I feel you are completely off base. The fact that you did not once in this letter state that you are a teacher and wrestling coach for Stevi, who is upset because you didn’t get what you wanted. Which you made clear was a gym and weight room. The are more gyms at the school now than when I was there less than 20 years ago, the weight room is a huge improvement over what it was when I was there. The fact that you are so focused on gym and weight room space over the improvements in the High School is sad. Yes making a new entrance is a good idea and with that entrance is new parking. Opening the roof to allow natural light into the dungeon of a school is huge to the emotional and educational well being of the students and staff who spend countless hours in a dark poorly lit space.
If we are going to put some money for improvements into athletic facilities right now the sports complex (that will be used for 2 track teams, tennis, football, soccer and eventually softball) is a good thing, getting running water and sewer out there is a huge step into making a great complex. We pay for our kids to run In Corvallis Track both High School and Jr High. Our tennis courts are not safe to play on. Our grandstands are about to collapse. Im thinking these are more important than a new gym and weight room that will cost more than this project.
Also your encouraging people to vote no and you don’t live in this community.
To all of those who support children and want to see our schools safe and with facilities they feel good about learning in VOTE YES!