Why a new Angleton High School, Indeed

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Why a new Angleton High School, Indeed

Posted Monday, November 5, 2007

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Teaching methods and technology have changed drastically since our current Angleton High School opened in 1980 on Henderson Road. The infrastructure just isn’t there for today’s high school teaching methods without constant retro-fitting and/or additional expansion. (For example, now, if a welding class and a computer class coincide, breakers routinely get blown.)

Moreover, the Texas Legislature has mandated a stringent new “4x4” curriculum, meaning all students will be required to take 4 full years of math and 4 full years of science. There are not enough science labs in the 1980 campus to accommodate that many more classes; and the ones there now are hardly adequate. Even so, the current campus is far from useless, as the existing AHS is ideal for service as a new Junior High, for which so many specialty classes are not required.

I served along with more than 50 other volunteers on the Master Facilities Planning Committee for AISD for much of the past year, and we researched “best practices” nationwide and physically examined every facility in the District. We had AHS graduates, past and present parents, wage-earners, business owners, engineers, professionals, builders, teachers, lawyers, administrators and other backgrounds on the committee. We brought the school board our recommendation for a new high school as being the most cost-effective use of the taxpayers’ money, and they made it even better by proposing the new location for more flexible space and efficient use of resources in combination with the Henderson Road campus.

Our planning committee was most concerned about the increasing difficulties, especially safety, with the current Angleton Intermediate School (7-8 grade) on the 47 year old campus on Downing Road, and we seriously considered replacing that campus and building a new elementary school to accommodate growth. However, the costs of necessary upgrades to all campuses PLUS a new AIS campus PLUS a new elementary would be exorbitant, and the high school would still not be ready for anticipated growth and needed infrastructure. Instead of spending too much for too little, by building just ONE new school (and making it the new High School) and realigning grade/campus configuration (K-5 in each elementary; 6-8 in junior high; and 9-12 in high school), AISD will be able to convert existing schools to serve as “new” junior high and elementary schools and no other schools need to be built.

Our kids and our community deserve this new high school. AISD taxpayers deserve the most efficient planning and financing for current and coming needs, and the answers are frankly set forth in the last 3 propositions on the ballot. Vote “FOR” ALL 3 AISD BONDS.

Melba Beken
Rosharon