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
Hoosier Taxpayer said: "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. "
ReplyDeleteSociologists tell us that the closing of neighborhood schools HARMS THE CHILDREN
and devastates communities and neighborhoods. It is always very unwise
and it damages the composition and social fabric of neighborhoods.
Why are "they" proposing to close Jeffersonville's schools?
Why is this "harmful philosophy" being forced upon
the citizens of Jeffersonville
by the current GCCS board members and the current superintendent?
Such a policy will seriously and negatively damage Jeffersonville's children
and the community's future.
The Jeffersonville City Council should move to begin public hearings
upon this disastrous idea right away. All of the elected council persons
should also be very concerned about this unwise effort. Unity of effort is important to stand up for Jeffersonville.
Yes, the city council should become engaged right away in this effort
Deleteand assist in protecting Jeffersonville children and their future.
City council hearings would focus the public's attention upon
the efforts to damage Jeffersonville
by closing yet more community
schools.
Good coverage by the Award Winning Bat Blog!
ReplyDeleteLike the mayor pointed out Jeff has helped out GCCS on several occasions, now is time for Melin and the school board to return the favor and help downtown kids and their parents.
ReplyDeleteMoore came up with a good idea and is working for the kids, let's see if the board will do the same.
ReplyDeleteGood job Mayor Moore!
ReplyDeleteI've got a better idea! Let's build three new downtown schools! That would really help!
ReplyDeleteI've also offered as much information on how I would go about doing that as the mayor has and added two additional schools. So my plan is better!
Until I hear/read specifics on how the mayor plans to help make this happen it's nothing more than a P.R. stunt.
There is always one or two jokers and fools in the deck. Where is the one that said the schools are unsafe lol? They would make a great team.
DeleteNasty hatred does not help the children or the community.
ReplyDeleteThe Bat Blog coverage is very good and the concerns of the mayor
and many other dedicated community leaders should be appreciated.
The proposals that works best
are to keep open Maple Street and enlarge it.
Additionally, build a new school in the 6th and Michigan area,
or even BETTER in the planned revitalization area of the Historic Quadrangle.
The city has just put forth a very good idea,
approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission on May 30, 2017,
for that unique area. 'Educational components' are being considered
for part of the dynamic urban usage mix, as it would enhance
the development plans
and fit perfectly.
The old school bus depot
location will be available!
It is already owned by the taxpayers.
I.) Maple Street enlarged and improved.,
ReplyDeleteII.) The approximate area around 6th Street,
then along Michigan to 8th and Spring.,
III.) Or, the Historic Quadrangle area where the current
old school bus depot is located.
The urban planners are looking at those ideas.
Keep Maple Elementary open and build at ONE of the other two new locations.
The neighborhood associations need to step up right away.
Jeffersonville!
Bat Blog Exclusive!
ReplyDelete'Quartermaster Summit Overlay District'
The Mayor, the city council, and the planning director
have ALREADY begun detailed and specific efforts to plan for the possible inclusions of new EDUCATION USES as part of the MIX for the new downtown development area known as the 'Quartermaster Summit Overlay District'.
The Jeffersonville Planning Commission, under the chairmanship and leadership
of Councilman Dustin White, PASSED this on may 30, 2017:
Case Number: ZO-17-04 (Quartermaster Summit Overlay District)
Petitioner: City of Jeffersonville, Planning & Zoning Department
Requests: Zoning Ordinance Amendment
Hearing Date: May 30, 2017
Proposed creation of new Overlay District
The Planning & Zoning Department has recommended the following amendment
to the City of Jeffersonville Zoning Ordinance (2000-OR-61). This amendment
would add a new overlay district titled the Quartermaster Summit Overlay District
to Article 5, and amend Article 9 of the Zoning Ordinance.
(Quick summary;in Part):
A. The intent of the Quartermaster Summit Overlay District is as follows:
.To encourage the development of the area adjacent to the Quartermaster Depot.
.To encourage a mix of uses that includes medical office facilities, EDUCATIONAL institutions , training centers.
The mayor has been very involved in the preparation for potential education uses and there has been a discussion for a new school at a downtown location.
In addition to a new GCCS facility, probably a new elementary,
there have been preparations for college level training facility and extensive vocational training to serve Jeffersonville's surging manufacturing
and logistical management growth.
Jeffersonville!
The Bat Blog has really nailed this one!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that the mayor and city council
had been planning
for the additional growth in the historic Quadrangle area
and had ideas to include an educational component as well!
I was told about this blog through a friend and thought i would respond. I have grandchildren attending Maple Elementary and I along with my grandchildren's parents my daughter and son-in law hope the school remains open. I have read some of the negative thoughts about safety and believe me they are completely untrue. The school while dated is completely safe as my daughter would not allow my grandchildren to attend a place that isn't safe. The staff and teachers are great and the convenience of the children being able to walk to school is great for their parents. We also like the smallness and lesser students. I appreciate the mayor's attention and hope his efforts include possibly expanding and updating Maple along with a new school. I will tell my daughter about this site and hope more concerned parents will voice their concerns here and with petitions.Thank you
ReplyDeleteWelcome Martha thanks for your insight...
DeleteIf you are anyone else hears of any petitions involving this issue please let us know so we can post it....
Now suddenly the naysayers think its a good idea because it supposedly came from the Mayor. That is funny. Trust me when I say this was not all of his idea. And suddenly closing the old schools sound good now huh. Make up your mind.
DeleteNobody said anything about closing the schools now "sounds good," if Melin and the board are bound and determined to turn their backs to downtown parents and children then a new school maybe a workable solution.
DeleteMy guess is most would rather see money invested in both the individual schools and keep them both open. The new school idea would be a compromise of sorts and keep at least one school in the downtown area, which is essential with the continued growth and rapid development going on down there.
It would also keep downtown kids downtown and not bused and overcrowding the schools they would be bused to. Keeping children as close to home as possible seems to be the common sense solution to all this IF the board is determined to close the existing schools.
Where will the money come from to build this new school??? Another referendum perhaps?? Why not take the $2 million in bonds already approved to add classrooms at Northaven and use that money to upgrade Maple and Spring Hill. No need for a new school. None. Both neighborhoods need their schools.
ReplyDeleteThat is an option to be considered as well Anon...
DeleteBuild that school, build that school. Sorry I could not resist. Perhaps if Trump gets his initiative passed to do public building and infrastructure improvements we could get money to help build a new school here
ReplyDeleteMaybe comrade Putin could throw a few bucks in on it as well...
DeleteDONE!......
Deletehttp://www.swedishcurrency.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/The-Russian-currency.jpg
Oh,yeah....RUBLEs,dude.....rubles.....hahahaha
The communities do NOT think a new school at a cost of $17 to $20 million is the answer. These schools could be updated with much less and it would be great for both communities. If Melin is concerned about money, building a new school (which would require a referendum) is not a good solution. Plus he supposedly wants to also tear down Wilson and Thomas Jefferson and build a new school for them as well. Ridiculous
ReplyDeleteWhat ever solution they come up with either a new school or investing in the older schools...the important thing is to do is keep a school downtown and not bus these kids miles away...
ReplyDeleteDowntown is growing by leaps and bounds and a school is essential for continued growth and development...
It would be a stupid option to close the downtown schools and bus the kids and in the process overcrowding other schools...
Over the course of my meeting with Dr. Melin it became very obvious there was no chance of saving Maple and Spring Hill. The votes from the school board are there to shut down. The sooner we acknowledge that and present a "Plan B" the better. I've always been a strong supporter of our neighborhood elementaries, but if we simply continue the fight to save, we're ultimately going to lose. I'm open to any suggestions, but right now convincing the school board for a new downtown elementary makes sense to me.
ReplyDeleteMike Moore
What are your (the city's) plans to help the school corporation?
DeleteIdeas are great. But making those ideas feasible is always better and usually more difficult.
If a new school is the only option, where will the 17 to $20 million come from to build it. Also what will happen to the two old schools? Torn down? Where will the money come from for a new bus depot? And a new school to replace Wilson and TJ? 75% of the people said NO to a referendum yet Melin has continued to pursue his plan and all the debt anyway. He obviously doesn't listen to the people and sadly neither do the board members-- or most of them anyway. If Spring Hill is closed those parents should consider sending their children to Clarksville Elementary only 1.7 miles away. Clarksville will be happy to have them and provide a bus. Greater Clark is NOT the only choice.
ReplyDeleteThe mayor is working hard and trying to make the best of a bad situation,
ReplyDeletenot created by the city, but that has been dropped upon the residents
by the school system.
Several of the city council persons are becoming involved
and voicing their concerns. Jeffersonville City Councilman Dustin White
has been planning and working on solutions and his applied his leadership in planning and zoning to help prepare the Quadrangle Historic District
for an educational component.
Remember, that the "Powers" in the 'corporate school combines' in Indiana
had a bill in the Indiana General Assembly that failed in this last session.
Those POWER BROKERS tried to get a voting member on the RDC's to be able to steal money from the economic development process away from the municipalities and counties. That would have made the "school spending concepts"
and "tax drain" even worse.
That bill failed, but the City of Jeffersonville is ALREADY by agreement GIVING the GCCS a SIGNIFICANT PORTION of NEW revenues from a new RDC area.
If GCCC receives that money,
it SHOULD AUTOMATICALLY be earmarked for a new downtown school,
possibly in the new Quadrangle Historic area, and for keeping Maple Street open.
GCCS is already getting additional development tax money
from the city above their usual EXTENSIVE revenue sources.
The current board members and the current superintendent
should quickly act to "do the right thing"
and EARMARK those new, usurped, yearly income funds
to for the Jeffersonville downtown schools whose children are in need.
The GCCS is usurping an ADDITTIONAL $440,000 a Y-E-A-R from the City from Jeffersonville's vital economic development tool, the EDC.
ReplyDeleteSoooo, lets be wise "For the Children" and utilize the $440,000
for the next 40 years for Maple and Spring Hill (new or old).
That is $17,600,000 right there as a starter, bro!
Melin "Hey Mike Let"s tell them that we're closing 2 schools...then the you come in on a white horse and talk about a brand new school downtown...wow way to get what you want Melin and Moore
ReplyDeleteThe mayor and City Council need to stand up to Melin and not be bullied. We need BOTH schools. Put pressure on Melin and stand with the people.
ReplyDeleteThe city council needs to hold hearing on this right away.
ReplyDeleteThe mayor really disappointed and angered those in attendance at the meeting last night. I wasn't there and am only seeing the reactions. People did not leave with the impression he was trying to save the schools.
ReplyDeleteThere needs to be one plan, one fight: to save both these schools. Dividing Melin's opposition was a bad move and needs to be corrected.
Melin is insulated because he is an employee. No smart elected official wants the blame for closure to be able to be pinned on them.
It's not the building that's important, but what goes on inside it. Our country has this obsession with tearing things down and rebuilding. Wasted resources! We need downtown schools, 2 of them would be nice. And refurbishing the ones that are already here, what is wrong with that idea?
ReplyDeleteThe "current school board members and current superintendent"
ReplyDeleteHAVE to comprehend what is going in downtown Jeffersonville's miraculous growth and assist, NOT try to block the amazing activity.
UNIFYING A CORRIDOR: Jeffersonville Spring Street Master Plan draft encourages consistency
By ELIZABETH BEILMAN
newsandtribune.com
JEFFERSONVILLE —Jeffersonville's Spring Street has been a hub of recent downtown revitalization, and city leaders hope to see it continue.
The Jeffersonville Planning and Zoning Department has released a draft of its Spring Street Master Plan, a timeline of projects meant to better unify a 1.5-mile stretch of the corridor.
Members of the public are invited to comment on the draft plan before it is enacted as policy. The public comment period ends at noon on Friday.
The master plan seeks a more walkable, consistently designed and aesthetically pleasing Spring Street corridor from Eastern Boulevard to Riverside Drive. It's also meant to foster a stronger sense of place and encourage economic development.
Nathan Pruitt, Jeffersonville Planning and Zoning director, said staff decided to pull together several ongoing projects relating to Spring Street into a single overarching vision.
http://www.newsandtribune.com/news/unifying-a-corridor-jeffersonville-spring-street-master-plan-draft-encourages/article_a9c3da5e-5534-11e7-8f6f-d73345164177.html
Jeffersonville City Council approves high-standard Quartermaster zoning district
District meant to bring life back to downtown 10th Street
By ELIZABETH BEILMAN
Council members spoke highly of the plan, thanking Pruitt for his vision.
"I applaud you because this is an area that really needs this ..." Council President Lisa Gill said.
JEFFERSONVILLE — City leaders are hoping to bring life to an area of downtown Jeffersonville that's already in high supply of potential customers.
During a meeting Monday, the Jeffersonville City Council approved the creation of the Quartermaster Summit Overlay District, a zoning district in the heavily traveled area surrounding 10th Street from Interstate 65 to city hall. The vote was 7-0, with council members Ed Zastawny and Scott Hawkins absent.
The district comes at the suggestion of Planning and Zoning Director Nathan Pruitt, whose vision for the area is pedestrian friendly and commercially vibrant.
http://www.newsandtribune.com/news/jeffersonville-city-council-approves-high-standard-quartermaster-zoning-district/article_45829d42-555b-11e7-9f53-1323687ad5d8.html
Bat Blog Information
ReplyDeleteThe mayor has been fighting to save Maple and Spring Hill against the current superintendent and school board's intentions for over two years.
Many wise people understand
that he has worked to block the "set in stone" move by the GCCS.
The school board/superintendent have INTENDED to close both schools
and have a plan to that. The mayor first met with the superintendent
to try and block this as far back as 2015. You might want to attend the next
school board meeting and listen........
The vote is coming.
Instead of INCORRECTLY criticizing the mayor or the city council,
try to SUPPORT their actions to save the schools. The mayor has worked
on that for a long time and the school board/superintendent , NOT the mayor,
is working to close BOTH schools.
Remember,
that the mayor and the city council
DO NOT have a vote on the school board's actions.
The "closure kick"
is the school corporation's plan
that is being forced upon Jeffersonville.
Something isn't translating to those on the ground if the mayor is really trying to save both schools. Discussion about a new school appears to have muddied the waters and divided the opposition. For now, there needs to be a unified NO to Melin's plan. Period.
DeleteHowever that turns out, if there is a reason to rebuild one of the schools a few blocks away, we can talk about that then.
Division among the opposition was a strategic mistake and has angered some very active and passionate voters.
Come out and help the mayor and the city council fight the school board.
ReplyDeleteKeep a school in downtown Jeffersonville, mayor pleads
By ERIN WALDEN erin.walden@newsandtribune.com
Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore has proposed a plan that may keep an elementary school downtown.
“My plan A is to save Spring Hill and Maple. But if that is not going to happen I would support a new downtown elementary school. We are seeing more growth than we’ve ever seen before. The last thing we need is for young families to see the option of an elementary school has been pulled away from them,” he said.
In a recent memo to the Greater Clark County Schools board, superintendent Andrew Melin outlined his plans to shut down Spring Hill and Maple elementary schools and send the students to Bridgepoint and Northaven.
According to Tuesday night's GCCS board meeting agenda, a presentation will be made to the board on how to transition those students.
“You are giving up on downtown Jeffersonville if you pull the elementary schools out and that’s something we cannot afford,” Moore said. “People believe in Jeff right now we need to make sure the school system does, too.”
Picketing, posters, a petition filled with signatures and many citizens speaking publicly against Melin’s suggestion can be expected at Tuesday’s board meeting, according to Wendy Sheppard.
“Bigger schools are not always better. The kids seem to do well with the smaller classrooms and when it comes to education it can never be all about the money,” Melissa Hart said.
The board will meet Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the district administration building.
http://www.newsandtribune.com/news/keep-a-school-in-downtown-jeffersonville-mayor-pleads/article_48162bfa-5547-11e7-81c8-07295aa566fc.html
This is the second Super to want to close Maple. Maybe the problem isn't the Super or the board, but is actually Maple.
ReplyDeleteJust a thought.
Just my opinion but they would rather cram students together and eliminate the smaller schools...all to save a buck that will be wasted on another project...
DeleteNo wonder parents are streaming away from GCCS for West Clark if possible...
The BatBlog keeps hearing closing the schools is a done deal...The school board doesn't have the backbone to stand up to Melin...
ReplyDeleteKudos to the mayor for trying ...for the kids, their parents and downtown's future...
Melin is too arrogant to listen to outside influence and reason...
The BatBlog keeps hearing closing the schools is a done deal...The school board doesn't have the backbone to stand up to Melin...
ReplyDeleteKudos to the mayor for trying ...for the kids, their parents and downtown's future...
Melin is too arrogant to listen to outside influence and reason...
GCCS has planned to close Maple and Spring Hill for over two years
ReplyDeleteat least since the "secret study" was designed to create
the results that they wanted.
The failure
of the referendum
by a 75-25% voice of the people
did not deter them.
The mayor
has worked
for two years
to try to change their minds,
but GCCS was determined.
If they are considering 'Plan B'
to build a new centrally located elementary
with walkability for many blocks and great access
for families, that will work out as a very good alternative
if it can be accomplished.
The batblog outscooped the evening snooze by 4 days on this story, good work batman!
ReplyDeleteThe mayor's promotion
ReplyDeleteof Plan B to save downtown may have worked.
It took a lot of effort.
The Award Winning Bat Blog is anticipating the news.
Bat Blog Drama Coverage
ReplyDeleteCheck out:
https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/newsandtribune.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/7/4b/74b96646-55f0-11e7-8750-e707e06e7aee/59497a69aa279.image.jpg
Noted:
Mayor Moore took city councilman Ron Ellis as backup.
Superintendent Melin took school board member Teresa Perkins a backup.