About 100 people showed up at the public forum in the high school’s theater, including a number of students. Bartlett spoke for about 25 minutes before opening the one-hour meeting up to questions from the audience. There was loud grumbling when she told attendees their questions would only be taken via index cards and that they wouldn’t be allowed to speak.
Bartlett said she is perhaps the most fiscally conservative of the board’s seven members, which largely explained why she voted last March against Cobb Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa’s recommendation to approve the $14.5 million construction of a ninth-grade center.
The Cobb School District’s central office recently projected that Harrison’s enrollment will drop from presently 2,044 students to 1,966 students next school year, while increasing at other high schools, especially in south Cobb, Bartlett said. Building the new center now would also negatively affect the district’s general fund, which is already facing a $62.4 million shortfall in Fiscal Year 2013, she said.
If the district can later afford it, she will support the construction of a Harrison ninth-grade center, she said.
“For me, the cost of this building is going to cost $133,000 – not including the kitchen – out of general fund every year to maintain,” Bartlett said.
“When I look at growth, it is not in this area. It is not in Hillgrove, Allatoona and Harrison. It is south of Macland Road and it is mostly in the Campbell/Osborne area. So for me, why am I building a building that’s going to cost more in general fund in an area that I don’t see growth coming in any projections?”
Some in the Harrison community have criticized Bartlett’s vote, particularly in light of the fact that she will soon represent the school on the board, after a new reapportionment map was approved. Board members David Morgan, Kathleen Angelucci and Tim Stultz also voted to delay the project.
Many of the questions, which were read aloud by Principal Donnie Griggers, criticized the board for voting to improve or expand facilities at other schools and not in this case.
“Are you going to vote down every project from now on that increases the general budget?” one question read.
“I typically do,” Bartlett said.
“Since you will represent Harrison in the future, how do you plan to restore support from us?” another question read.
“I do what I think is right,” Bartlett responded.
After the forum, James Bradley said he remained convinced that a new ninth-grade center should be built.
“I think that she is definitely going against what it is that the general board, the recommendations and all of the public feel about what should be done,” said Bradley, who has a child at Harrison and two more headed there.
“She’s kind of making waves when they don’t need to be made. Anybody who walks through his school in the middle of the day will see just how inadequate the facilities are and how difficult it is for the students to deal with.”
A group of Harrison juniors expressed concerns about the physical condition of their school, which they described as desperately in need of repair. They said they have friends who have been hurt on the school’s rugged track.
“Every school but ours is basically well renovated, has high technology in it and smart boards,” said Amber Maynard. “We don’t have those. We still have trailers outside.”
“I feel like (Bartlett) came with her mind made up,” Sarah Schwartz said. “I don’t think she was planning on really listening to what we had to say.”
Muna Calvert, a mother of a Harrison sophomore and two younger children, felt few people who showed up were persuaded to change their opinions on the matter. She isn’t certain a ninth-grade center is currently needed, but would like to see renovations to the existing school.
“(Bartlett) has already set her mind, and I don’t know that any of this is going to change it,” Calvert said.
School board Chairman Scott Sweeney and member Lynnda Eagle, who currently represents Harrison, have called a re-vote on the issue at Wednesday’s school board meeting.
If the board votes again on the building of a ninth-grade center, Bartlett said her vote will remain the same. She said following the meeting that few audience members, if any, had likely changed their opinions about the issue either.
“They want and feel like they deserve the ninth-grade center,” she said.
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The overcrowding of Harrison is the result of poor planning and no changes being made to the zoning by the CCSD. If we look at attendance levels for ALL of our high schools in the county, we can distribute accordingly. But, with this, even more of the parents will be upset because they want their children at a specific school. There is no pleasing the parents of Cobb County with regards to the school building programs. One way we can stop this once and for all is to vote against SPLOST in the future and force the CCSB to balance their budget with the resources they have available.
Now, if the board wants to change the criteria for capital building projects, then they need to go back and evaluate the other 9th grade centers, the magnets building, the new science buildings, the new band building, drama theateas, high school renovation, new elemenatry schoosl and all other captial projects that have a continuing support costs for heat/cool/clean and shut down some and restore the teacher ratios and such for classrooms.
The school board can only impact and deal with what they control - zoning, tax digest, state funding, federal funding etc are all out of the Boards control. The SPLOST is theirs to control -they created the project book, they prioritized the projects, they did the design, the propsoal and request for bid and now have the lowest bidder. And now they want a new 1% tax extension and yet are reneging on the promises of the old 1% projects - this is a total integrity void, a character flaw, a change in direction and a complete loss of trust of the Board by the Harrison School Community - stop building the band building at Lassiter, or the renovations at Wheeler, Pope and Walton or shut down the 9th grade centers at Osborne, South and North Cobb, disolve the magnet programs etc etc and see what the community response is ?
I also believe in being fiscally responsible ,but I also believe in following the law. I like many others thought that Bartlett simply wanted to move the 9th Grade Center to Hillgrove, like she proposed numerous times at board meetings. This is not the case - she wants to take the money that voters approved and alloted for the West Cobb 9th grade center and spend that money in South Cobb.
Prior to completion of the 9th grade center at South Cobb, they had 18 trailers and there was no outrage by familes county wide. Clarkdale had over a dozen trailers with the 3rd and 4th grade meeting entirely in those trailers...and those trailers had been at that school for more than 10 years (longer than most of the West Cobb schools have even been in existence).
Harrison was founded in 1991, Hillgrove in 2006, Allatoona in 2008. South Cobb opened in 1952 and Osborn HS is the oldest high school in Cobb County. These schools are over 50 years old and to compare their facilities to those of the newer schools is almost comical if it wasn't sad.
You speak of the great parental involvment of these schools - they have sismilar percnetages of parental involvement but the per capita/household earning of families in West Cobb is higher so their booster and PTSAs do have more resources available to them. But that doesn't mean they don't have parent involvement. Many of these schools - like Mableton - are Schools of Excellence. These schools have a level of parental involvement that results in schools getting the improvements needed...just like the families of Harrison.
I wish you luck in getting the 9th Grade Center and hope they are able to get it built - but don't look down on the families and schools of Cobb County while you get it done.
We voted for the referendum that included building a Ninth Grade Center at South Cobb and it was built. There was no dispute over it being built and it was supported by families in Post 1. No outrage was needed...taxpayers in Post 1 supported the building of your Ninth Grade Center.
Bartlett replies; “I typically do.”
Really now ???????? – Meeting minutes can be a pesky thing!
Bartlett did vote against the SPLOST III approved theater in Northeast Cobb at Lassiter HS twice so maybe that is her definition of typical, if not selective memory.
However;
Bartlett voted to approve the South Cobb ninth grade center.
Bartlett voted to approve the North Cobb ninth grade center.
Bartlett voted to approve the Wheeler High School modifications.
Bartlett voted to approve the new Mableton Elementary School.
Bartlett voted to approve the new Clarkdale Elementary replacement school.
Curiously, Bartlett abstained from approving the new East Side Elementary School, which she knows is a vote with the majority who approved the school construction 6-0.
Gee… Do all of these have an impact on the general budget?
That would be a big YES !!!!!!
Bartlett’s assertion fails miserably just like her flawed logic concerning the Harrison High School projects.
However, Bartlett, along with the other board members, really think we, the taxpayers, are not paying attention:
1. She was elected chairperson without proper notice or attendance of ALL the board members.
2. She pushed to change the balance calendar after the previous board had voted to accept.
3. Bartlett and the other board members have not pushed Hinojosa or David Morgan to explain their involvement with Teach for America.
4. Bartlett and the board have not asked David Morgan to recuse himself on ALL charter discussions and votes.
5. The board members recently submitted their first of two annual superintendent evaluations for Cobb Superintendent Dr. Michael Hinojosa. I understand this is a personal matter, but we should know how the board feels about Hinojosa if he had done the job expected.
6. We are going to pay for conference in Florida when the board approves cutting 350 jobs to close deficit.
7. We only have 1 board member votes against the tentative budget when we have $100 million in reserves.
The board can have all the town hall meetings or ask for feedback from parents, teachers, taxpayers, but as they have shown in the past years - they will do what they want to do, never paying attention to what we say.
I just wait for the day the teachers, parents and all the taxpayers wake up and say enough is enough. We have voted in new members and nothing has really changed. There are issues with the board that need to be addressed and changed, but this starts at the top. We have a new superintendent that was approved within 2 weeks after submitting his resume. From his record so far, I think we have a major issue brewing for Cobb County Schools.
I look forward to seeing more taxpayers protesting and teachers pushing for change.
You're unhappy when the board tries to save money, you're unhappy when money is spent, you're unhappy when you can't have time off during the year; it is a very sad situation.
You spoiled, self-indulgent, "instant gratification, give-me-what-I-want-NOW" infants are going to be the financial ruin of the school district.
"When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic." Benjamin Franklin
Ben would not build now, Bill Clements.
(And by the way, it was only over budget because CCSD did an across the board budget cut.)
It's hypocritical for her to cite declining enrollment as her reason to not support the ninth grade center at Harrison.
Bartlett voted to award construction contracts for the South Cobb and North Cobb ninth grade centers each that have experienced declining enrollment.
So did Morgan.