I believe the Toledo High School is an adequate structure intended for education of grades 9-12. The building is a sparkling example of architecture, withstanding the test of time, while continuing to provide service and stature to our community.
It proudly stands along state Route 505 north of Toledo. Visitors marvel at its campus-like appearance.
Today, the school’s future is in jeopardy due to efforts by its administrators and local zealots, who continue to belittle the building of its integrity and capability, all based upon reckless claims (due to its old age of 40-plus years). They say the school no longer continues to provide students with a safe, up-to-date educational environment and should be demolished. These claims are not true and unwarranted.
Cons of its condition have grown, beginning with an unrepairable, clogged water fountain (fixed), to leaking roofs, leaking window frames, leaking dirty science room faucets, minor cracks in the concrete floor, abandoned student lockers, wallpaper lifted from wall board, no “cool” air conditioning, partially functioning clocks, hodge-podged PA system, inadequate electrical wiring to some classrooms, etc.
Dramatics of these maintenance issues have gone viral. Most of the issues regarding meeting current seismic building codes have been exaggerated. It meets seismic standards previously set.
The building is not in dire need of being replaced. It needs to be fixed. Not to bore you with their nitpicking process of combing the school for every nickel/dime problem, just read their petty complaints. Item by item, the problems are fixable, upgrades can be applied over time at significantly lower costs than the suggested bond currently being sought.
Prior bond attempts included frills beyond the scope of adequate education. The Toledo School District has the ability to get things done using existing school cash reserves and maintenance and operations levies, money gleaned from local taxpayers year after year.
The present bond amounts to $7 million (property tax) plus an additional $18 million of state money. This is a huge chunk of local and state taxpayers’ money that does not need to be spent.
Regardless of where the tax money comes from, it’s not a prudent, responsible solution to this problem. I don’t agree with the idea of “throwing in the towel” on the building to pacify the Toledo School Board with a new facility at the expense of already financially stressed Toledo property taxpayers.
As before, my primary recommendation to the TSD is, “Roll up those sleeves,” and get to work solving problems instead of offloading exaggerated issues onto the community. Life these days is already hard enough without additional property taxes and continued statewide K-12 public bondage.
One of my main concerns is how TSD has misrepresented its building to the public and its students. It’s incomprehensible, it’s wrong and it’s a shame.
Alfred Carlson
Toledo
