So we've heard that we need a new high school because a whopping 950 kids will be in the building next year...
And so what?
The Class of '99 was the largest Hays High graduating class, ever; I don't think another class since has been so large. We graduated 274 students, although I'm certain we had closer to 300 at some point.
Yes, we had more than 1,000 students in that building, and yes, a few teachers had to shuffle around classrooms, but it worked fine. We also had a robust offering of electives, something which the building’s size didn’t hinder.
This year, we're graduating 192 students — a decrease of 82 students over 23 years. If lack of space at the high school is the reason for the bond, then perhaps we should question what exactly they're doing at HHS, because the Class of '99 had no such problems despite being the biggest.
If space is an issue at the middle school, then it’s not hard to see why: those of us with common sense anticipated that when they closed Kennedy and haphazardly scrambled to do a 7,200-square-foot addition at HMS. As with everything else, the school board had no long-term plan then, and it still doesn’t with regards to facility maintenance or future renovations. However, adding on to HMS would still be more prudent and cost effective than paying the price tag on a new high school.
This bond issue has caused much contention, partly because it's for the wrong amount at the wrong time, as inflation and a steep increase in property valuations have already put many in a financial bind. But, the answers to why we need THIS bond, as opposed to a smaller one (smaller than the previous failed bonds) that addresses needed renovations, are ever changing. None of the people involved can get their stories straight about why we must do this, do all of it, and do it now. One of the most consistent answers seems to be to "Grow Hays."
Well, with a loss of 82 seniors in the graduating class over the last 20+ years, as well as just taking a look around town, Hays isn't exactly growing and is unlikely to obtain any significant growth in the foreseeable future, a conclusion the realtors in town sure don't want to admit. Hays has been growth restricted for many reasons, water resources being a major, long-standing issue. Also consider that, nationwide, parents are rejecting the public school system in favor of alternative options, among them traditional private schools and homeschooling — a trend that Hays isn't immune to.
Building an expensive new high school and closing elementary schools while jacking up property taxes, rent, and the overall cost of living to do it, is not the beacon of light and prosperity some people seem to believe. It won't attract middle class parents looking for the best educational opportunities for their children. What it will accomplish is ultimately running out Hays residents who just can't afford these increases.
Amanda Schlyer, Hays, HHS Class of '99