Stop the Move on our Schools in Henry County

Stop the Move on our Schools in Henry County

When the voters were asked to vote on the Education SPLOST a list of plans were involved in the plan and the E-SPLOST as it is known is to draw some $7 million for various renovation projects at our county schools.  One such project on the list was to do renovations on Patrick Henry High School or Patrick Henry Academy as it is being called now.

Superintendent Rodney Bowler plans to ask the Henry County Board of Education to consider placing a rezoning proposal on the table for public review and comment at its regular meeting on Monday.  He said that he feels that the cost to renovate Patrick Henry High School in Stockbridge would be too much because of the aging facility.  He wants to close the McDonough Elementary School and move Patrick Henry Academy there.  Wait a minute.  McDonough Elementary is undergoing a $2.9 million renovation out of that E-SPLOST on a building built in 1954.  Patrick Henry High was originally Stockbridge High School and it was built in 1964.  McDonough Elementary is 10 years older than Patrick Henry High and it is labeled aging.

They are wanting to send the McDonough Elementary students to Tussahaw Elementary, Walnut Creek Elementary and Wesley Lakes Elementary.  Tussahaw is located at 225 Coan Drive.  Walnut Creek  is located at 3535 McDonough Pkwy.  Wesley Lakes is located at 685 McDonough Pkwy.  Now many of the students at McDonough Elementary walk to school today because of the closeness.  And they are wanting to bus these students off to these other schools.  Forced bussing was ended several years ago by an Act of the United States Department of Education.

Here are some good questions the parents of the students need answering:


    1.     Why are they so bent on moving Patrick Henry High from Stockbridge?
    2.     They tried this with Smith-Barnes Elementary and found out that they were in trouble there so why do the same with McDonough Elementary?
    3.     Why are they wanting to change what the voters wanted on the E-SPLOST?
    4.     Who is wanting to purchase the property where Patrick Henry is today?  It is obvious that they are pushing too hard for this one?
    5.     Why should a child be bused to a school when they can see the McDonough Elementary from their home?
    6.     Should the parents seek a recall on the Henry County Board Representative for this area?
    7.     Should the parents of McDonough Elementary and Smith-Barnes Elementary seek a petition to have the School Superintendent replaced?
    8.     Why are the students being treated this way?
    
    Here are a few things the parents of the students should do before the meeting this Monday.

    1.     Get in touch with the TV News out of Atlanta to show support for keeping the McDonough Elementary open.
    2.     Go to the meeting in mass to voice your disapproval for this action.
    3.     Ask your local Commissioner to be on hand.
    4.     Ask your local Representative to the Georgia Assembly on hand.
    5.     Get the students involved with why they want to keep their school.
    6.     Have representatives from Patrick Henry there to voice their opinion.
    7.     Possibly seek an injunction against the Board of Education if they proceed with the Superintendent’s plan.
    8.     Ask why they feel that Patrick Henry High which is a school built ten years after McDonough Elementary should be considered aging.
    9.     Ask them why they are going against the wishes of the voters about the E-SPLOST that had Patrick Henry listed.
    10. Let them know that bussing your students is illegal according to the U.S. Government.
    
    Here are some questions to ask yourselves as parents. 

    1.     Do I want these people being over my child?
    2.     Are they really acting in the best interest of my child?
    3.     Why close a school in Stockbridge and move it to McDonough?
    
    Please for the sake of what is right, turn out and stop this madness from continuing.  Your child is at stake here.  They only see spread sheets and diagrams.  We see hearts and minds in those little bodies.
    
    Staff of the Henry County Community News