Save Our Schools !!!

 

There was a passionate crowd of parents, residents, and politicians at last night's GCCS school board meeting, where Dr. Melin laid out the plans to potentially replace Jeffersonville's two downtown elementary schools with a new centrally located downtown school. Most of those attending disagreed with the Melin new school plan and were very vocal in doing so and made some very good points of why Spring Hill and Maple should remain open.

  While The BatBlog admires the determination and passion of those against the new school plan they also need to face reality, Melin and his "rubber stamp" school board are bound and determined to close these two historic but aging schools... and won't budge no matter how reasonable the opposition's  points might be on why the schools should remain open. Jeffersonville City Councilman Dustin White who represents constituents in the effected downtown area  made some particularly good and valid comments about saving the schools.

  The BatBlog has some serious doubt's itself about the "fuzzy"math and dollars Melin spouts as reasoning for closing the schools but with a jelly fish spined board squarely in his pocket one has to realize Melin has the power to do as he wishes. Mayor Mike Moore's plan to compromise and build a new school while not a perfect answer for the opposition...it is at this point the only viable choice left on the table. It is a better alternative for downtown kids than being bused miles away and better for continued downtown development.

 The BatBlog deeply sympathizes with those opposed to closing Maple and Spring Hill but considering the alternative let them ...

Build that School !!! Build that School !!! Build that School !!!
 

New School for Downtown Jeffersonville...

 

A decision has been made and at a news conference this afternoon mayor Mike Moore and Dr. Melin announced plans for a new downtown elementary school to replace Spring Hill and Maple elementarys. While this decision will disappoint some of the supporters of keeping the two long times schools open,The BatBlog feels this a workable solution and compromise that is in the best interest of those most important.... the elementary aged children in the downtown area. The proposed new school will be located in a location to be determined later with two potential sites being looked at as possibilities, both near to the downtown area.

 Moore and Melin need to be applauded for working together for making this compromise happen. Details haven't been worked out but the new school will most likely provide the modern services and programs that were limited by the size of Spring Hill and Maple.

Another upside is that the two older schools will remain open until the new school is ready for students (tentatively for the 2019-20 school year). This is a big day and a win for downtown children as they will stay close to home and start their formative educational years in a spanking new modern school...

Mayor Moore Comes Up With a Sensible Solution...

 *************************************A BatBlog Exclusive**********************************

  Jeffersonville mayor Mike Moore has related exclusively to The BatBlog a sensible, common sense proposal on how to keep downtown Jeffersonville elementary school children in their downtown home. In a post (printed below) mayor Moore outlines his proposal to Greater Clark Schools superintendent Dr. Melin  to build a new downtown elementary school to replace Spring Hill and Maple elementaries. The schools are currently on a short list to be closed on a proposal revealed by Melin last week.

Lets hope for the sake of the children, parents involved and the continued growth of the downtown sector of Jeffersonville Dr. Melin takes a good , hard, serious look at mayor Moore's proposal. To us here at The BatBlog it sounds like a perfect solution to the issue at hand...

Mayor Moore's Post:

I know it looks grim, but I refuse to give up. Our downtown is thriving, new restaurants are booming, people feel safe and happy. Our real estate market is "hot". I appreciate the Greater Clark school boards concern for the financial bottom line, but ask that they not ignore the growth that our downtown is experiencing. I had a productive meeting with Dr. Melin this afternoon. I made my sales pitch and he made his. Jeffersonville cannot afford Greater Clark to abandon the kids and young families who live west of Ewing Lane. Growing up in Jeff myself in the 70's and 80's we had four public elementary schools servicing our downtown. If this proposal takes effect that number would be zero. Imagine hundreds of kids not being able to participate in any after school programs because 28% of Maple and Spring Hill parents have no car. 

Jeffersonville is a special place, we're strong when we work as a team. When Greater Clark came to me asking for help to build a new road at Wilson Elementary, we stepped up. When Greater Clark came to me and requested help building a new road and intersection on Tenth Street coming out of Jeff High, we stepped up. When Greater Clark said they had a budget shortfall and need money, we stepped up with a commitment of $440,000 a year. 

Now it's my turn to ask. Greater Clark, I need your help, let's build a new downtown elementary school. 

Mike Moore

Melin Drops the Hammer on Downtown Schools...

 

 In a move that is assuredly going to be controversial and unpopular with Jeffersonville downtown parents with school age children, Greater Clark School  superintendent Andrew  Melin has dropped the hammer on a plan to close both Maple and Spring Hill Elementary schools.

  Both schools have a long history of educating children over many, many years and generations in the downtown area. The move to close the schools has been rumored for several years and if  Melin's plan comes to fruition it will end an era as well as force many children now within walking distance to be bused to schools well away from their residence.

   It seems strange to the BatBlog that just when downtown is the middle of a huge revitalization that includes bringing a large number residential units to the area, that this decision would be made. It seems to us the potential savings ??? cited by Melin for the move doesn't out weigh the disruption and inconvenience imposed on residents and their children.

The GCCS board has pretty much been a rubber stamp for Melin, but lets hope on this occasion they stand up for the students and the taxpayers they are supposed to be representing. Bigger isn't always better and the charm and tradition of these schools along with the wishes of parents , students and taxpayers need to be took into consideration on this matter...

Banning Chickens in Jeffersonville....

 

 

Confiscated illegal, alien chickens...

Seems like the Jeffersonville City council is having a tough time deciding whether or not to ban chickens from Jeffersonville. An ordinance to ban chickens along with  roosters, turkeys,guineas, ducks, geese ,pigeons and peacocks failed to pass at the last council meeting.

   The BatBlog doesn't know what some members the council have against our feathered friends. HT and the BatBlog really enjoy chickens and turkeys....especially roasting over a hot grill. We need our roosters to wake us up in the morning, ducks are cute  and how in the world can you ban pigeons they just show up. We can't remember the last time  we saw a peacock strutting down Court Ave....and we don't even know what the hell a guinea is.

You would think the council would have better things to do then pick on our aviary neighbors and their owners. There are all ready to many restrictions and bureaucracy... are we going to create a chicken police force to detain and deport illegal chickens and water fowl ???

What will happen to Goliath's chicken market a Jeffersonville landmark ??? The BatBlog encourages everyone to march on City hall and demand  the city council to  Save our Chickens !!!