ashe

OCM you can bet the farm it will be built where it is able to hook on the sewer system and water system. That will be an excuse they use to calm the northern mommies. Thats one of the unspoken reasons for building a new school ---move it to the towns. The dot wont be doing any road work just for a school.

The population center of the county for people with children is about a mile SW of Wal-Mart. Without children would move the center toward the Jefferson Post Office. The Smethport area is likely compromise. The NCDPI has specific land requirements for new schools and brownfield site is not ideal.

The current site is filled with asbestos, mercury, lead, etc., it;s a lawsuit waiting to happen if you tried to keep the kids there and build on the site.

Moreover, a new school needs to have an emergency shelter capacity component. For that you need municipal sewer. If you plan it right, you can tap USDA funds.

The way to compensate folks in the NW is to improve 88 to Warrensville with a center lane that can be used for passing so that the road is not blocked so easily. Time is money, distance is time. You can move to Smethport and not greatly increase the travel time from the NW with road improvement.

There is no "fair" to people in isolated areas. The pressure to provide urban services to extremely rural areas is one of the problems that drives up the cost of services. In a more ideal system if you lived in such an area you would get a property tax break. Let's face it - if you live around Pond Mountain, what SERVICE do you really enjoy. Theoretically this disparity is reflected in property values but not always.

Anyway, the decision to make is the one that maximizes the County economically and with a 4-lane US 221, the county's future is a bedroom for Boone and ASU so the middle school site needs to play into that.

Jr, I agree about another abandoned building. But remodeling and expanding a school that's in use is a logistics nightmare. Especially if the old building hasn't really been maintained to the best methods to begin with. On the other hand, new school construction projects are prime areas to end up with huge waste and unneeded expenses because people are scared of questioning "it's for the kids".

I would bet now they have already been sniffing around and found the spot.

Northwest is much older than 30 years. I believe its between 40 and 50 years old.

I don't buy the argument we need a new location though. We certainly don't need yet another abandoned building in the county.

Putting 6th grade in a middle school program with 7th and 8th is normal procedure in most school systems. It's not an excuse to build a new building.

Like Heels said, let's make sure this building is built to last for a while instead of to be abandoned in 20 to 30 years. Watauga built the most expensive high school in the state, after years of complaining how bad of shape their old building was and how it had problems since it was built. But the school board screwed up trying to manage the construction themselves and built a new building that had problems right off the start. Hopefully our school board can at least learn from the county next door

I am not against the school because Northwest is a dump(That was my Opinion 20 years ago as well). However, we need reassurances from the county that these schools are going to last longer than the 3 High schools. Our county did a piss poor job in designing and maintaining those schools, so are we to expect any different now.

Behind closed door politics at its best. Perfect timing also given its an election year. I see no need in fighting this one---its a done deal and to add insult to injury the school will be built close to the Jeffersons. That obvious in the article.

6th grade remained with the elementary schools in the county when 7-8th were added to Ashe Central, Beaver Creek and Northwest in the 80s. Wanting to move 6th is just an excuse to spend more money and get a school at another location it seems to me.

Now the fighting will begin, regarding need vs. want, and location, location, location. I have not seen actual studies discussing the pros and cons of rebuilding at the current location, lots of anecdotal comments about water problems and sewer problems, "should I say septic"

http://ashemountaintimes.co...941f7.html