Letter to the editor,
Wow! Several days after attending the recent informational meeting held at the Greene County Middle School in Jefferson, I’m still astonished at what I saw.
The meeting was conducted by the “Pay It Forward Committee,” which is advocating voter approval of a school bond measure in a Sept. 13 election.
I appreciated the informational part of the meeting. Committee co-chairs Steve Karber and Tanner Lawton did an excellent job explaining the overall scope of the proposed project, which will allow the school district to scale back from five buildings to two, with extensive renovations and additions to those two.
They also did a good job of explaining the financial implications – both from a taxpayer perspective and the school district’s requirements. I also appreciated hearing Shive-Hattery architect Mark Allen talk about how in the Greene County school project, the firm will be drawing on 18-plus years of experience in doing school renovations and new construction throughout the state.
Then we were invited to tour the Middle School.
Seeing is believing. A picture is worth a thousand words. Every resident in Greene County should be horrified at the condition of the Middle School.In almost every aspect, it is so far below what I have seen at any school I’ve visited in the past 10 years.
I could report on so much that I saw, but the most horrifying aspect was how we are treating those with disabilities.
The Americans with Disability Act was passed into law in 1990 and requires many things be done to help those with disabilities. It “prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public.”
How does our Middle School facility measure up to even the “minimal standards” required for public access, especially for the physically-challenged? Well, maybe it meets “minimal standards.” If indeed it does, that still means minimal access, minimal results, minimal participation, minimal support. Oh my!
We have failed, and are failing, our student body and employees with disabilities:
- Doorways and classroom sizes that make maneuvering a wheelchair impossible.
- Restrooms that do not allow for access because the student lockers are so close to the restroom doors.
- A restroom stall with a shower curtain rather than a door.
- There is one electronic wheelchair lift that maneuvers the three levels of stairs, and it takes nearly the entire staircase when it is operating. That must seriously slow staircase traffic for all. And it would take a whole lot of time for multiple students or employees with disabilities to make it to any room on the second and third floors. At the same time, it would be a rather humiliating ride for a disabled person of any age. But a middle school child? At the age where the smallest difference among kids can be an emotional train wreck? (Why else are there so many anti-bullying signs posted in the classrooms?) And those classrooms? They aren’t large enough for local coffee groups to meet in, let alone an art class!
- God forbid there be a tornado, because those with disabilities will be left on the main level. There is no conceivable way a child in a wheelchair could make it to the “tornado shelter” in the basement, where, by the way, there is an “asbestos warning” sign posted.
We are certainly discriminating against our students with disabilities, but are we also discriminating against potential new faculty and staff because we simply can’t explain away three flights of stairs, limited access to classrooms, restrooms, our performance stage and that tornado shelter?
It was abundantly clear that every child attending our Middle School has multiple disadvantages when it comes to a quality, safe and meaningful education experience.
Every child deserves better. But those who struggle with disabilities depend on all of us to ensure that they have access to the same education experience all students have. We are failing those who need us most – before they even get to a classroom.
Every child depends on his or her community to provide the best educational experience. Are we as a community doing that? Up to this point, the answer would be no.
Go see for yourself – you’ll vote yes, too.
Carla Offenburger, Jefferson
