DATE: Monday, August 18, 1997               TAG: 9708180162

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

TYPE: Letter 

                                            LENGTH:   44 lines

LETTERS TO EDITOR -- THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT -- NORTH CAROLINA

Recently the citizens of Dare County exercised sound judgment and fiscal responsibility by rejecting an ill-conceived building proposal for the public schools. It now remains for these insightful and concerned citizens to be vigilant and watchful of subsequent proposals that may have even less merit. For example, any proposal to enlarge the existing facility at Manteo High School falls into this category.

A few days ago I spent a considerable amount of time viewing this facility. Based on my approximately 40 years as a high school teacher, high school principal, superintendent of schools, college professor and educational consultant, it is my considered professional opinion that any attempt to enlarge the existing facility would be educationally and financially unsound. In fact, as it now stands, it appears to me to have been inadequate from its inception.

The current facility gives evidence that the architect may have been more interested in an aesthetic rendition rather than a practical environment for teaching and learning. I cannot believe that teacher and principal inputs went into this design. Professional educators could not have recommended the short narrow hall maze defying adequate supervision outside of the classrooms of this facility. To compound the obvious weaknesses, the core facilities are locked into a design that renders them practically impossible to enlarge. Add to this the numerous limitations in classrooms, laboratories, teacher work and conference spaces, etc., etc., etc. The only solution is to start over and build a high school as close to the center of the student population as possible.

Dare County has the resources to have the finest high school in North Carolina. Planning should begin immediately for a centralized northern Dare County high school that can expand to handle future growth. The Board of Education should take immediate advantage of the recent Kill Devil Hills offer of 10 additional acres of land in First Flight Schools area, which appears to be close to the student center of population. The use of existing plans of a well-designed functional high school would also save time and money. Dare County needs to get on with the task at hand, without delay!

James E. Calkins, EdD

Southern Shores

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