Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, October 6, 1995 TAG: 9510060046
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
They are doubly smart to be taking the options to the community to hear residents' ideas about what they want - and will be willing to pay for.
One 2,000-student high school would take care of the anticipated increase in enrollment over the next 10 years. But there are sound educational reasons for considering a smaller school.
The larger the school, the more students can be made to feel like part of an anonymous mass: Fewer can really know and be known by their teachers. A smaller proportion make sports teams, hold student offices and participate in drama and music productions.
There is snob appeal about that very result, of course. Schools that have a larger pool of prospective players usually - though not always - can field stronger athletic teams than smaller schools. Yet, while a winning football team, say, can help build excitement and a sense of community, that should not and must not figure in deciding what size school to build.
Schools exist to educate, and academics must be the overriding factor in choosing school size. Large schools can offer a greater variety of courses and a broader range of advanced-level courses; smaller schools can provide more personal attention and can be tailored to a special area of study, providing greater depth.
We recognize, of course, that sports offer youngsters opportunities for growth beyond personal and community ego-building. Participation ought to teach kids how to work as part of a team, to discipline themselves and compete hard, to carry on when their team is down, to handle losing and winning with grace.
We also recognize, though, that all of these lessons can be learned in smaller divisions where the thrill of competing and winning is no less sublime when playing against evenly matched schools. Plus, schools that have dropped to smaller divisions generally find that non-revenue sports - tennis, baseball, track - become more competitive and flourish. More students are able to reap the benefits of playing sports at this level.
Consultants will present county residents with a range of combinations for school building projects, among them a 1,500-student comprehensive high school paired with a 500-student "high school of choice" that would concentrate on academics and the arts.
That is an intriguing option worth a serious look. Might we suggest, also, considering two 1,000-student schools, which would offer all students greater opportunities for personal development? We have no idea what football division that would put them in, and we don't care.
by CNB