Up until a few days ago, I assumed that a small (or large) group of citizens had done some fundraising and printed these signs and placed them around town.  I wondered why I wasn't seeing any opposing signs, and assumed it was because pretty much everyone in town was informed and educated and was in support of the "obvious" choice - to tear down the existing school and build a whole new one.  Imagine my surprise when I found out that myself, and other taxpayers, have paid for the signs to sway our vote for the new middle school.  I'm pretty furious right now that there is a big sign BOLTED to the front of the school, telling us how to vote.  Right where our kids see it every day, where we are meant to assume that this is obviously the best and only choice.  

I took this photo last night when I went on the last public tour of the existing school before the vote on June 13th.  I went in expecting to be shocked at the state of disrepair and fully expecting to see a crumbling structure that is unsafe for our kids, and certainly not safe for my son to be in that building in three years.  

What I actually saw was very little of the school.  I saw some dirty, disheveled classrooms, storage closets and a small and dated kitchen.  Wood that has rotted because they admittedly haven't shoveled the doorways that aren't being used every day.  Boiler rooms full of garbage and cobwebs.  If there are nice classrooms, and I've been told there are, we weren't shown them.  We were shown a few outdated things, and that was it.  Given numerous opportunities to show us where the school is actually structurally damaged, we were taken to ONE CLASSROOM at the end of the old freshman wing, back by the back parking lot, where the walls have been slowing cracking over the past several years.  And, mind you, that wing was built more recently than the MET building was.  The facility manager admitted that the bare minimum of maintenance has been done over the past several years, in order to save money instead of throwing it into a bad building.  Well, that's all well and good, but the only thing I saw last night was signs of age and neglect, mainly because we haven't been setting aside enough tax money for maintenance to begin with, and they aren't even using the money they've been allotted.  

I understand the arguments for a new school. And I'm not necessarily opposed to a new structure.  What irks me is the fact that we walked into and toured a perfectly structurally sound building last night and were not given forthright answers as to why we need to tear it down.  They want us to approve a $26 MILLION dollar bond to build a whole new school, when we haven't even been taking care of the one we have.  I'm pissed.  That sign should not be attached to the building.  Talk about a conflict of interest.  And how is it legal for tax payers to pay for a campaign to build a new school? Where is the logic here?  Why are we in such a hurry that we had to push the vote from November up until June?  Why were there 1,000 students in this building in the past, and now we can't adequately work with 360?  We need to tear down the ENTIRE BUILDING because the lunch line is outdated? Are you kidding me? 

Yes, the school board says they will consider keeping the MET building if we pass the measure for a new school.  Pass the vote on Tuesday, and they'll consider the future of the MET building on Thursday at the School Board meeting.  Yeah, no thanks.  We need to look at other options, again, and figure out how to save a perfectly good building and not waste precious time, money and resources to start over again just so that we can boast that we have three new schools.  You moved here because of our good schools?  Great.  We're glad to have you.  But enrollment has not grown since the building of the new high school or of CRES, if anything it has fallen.  You want to help us? Get the school board to approve funding for the teachers we actually need at the elementary school.  

 I've heard all the arguments for a new school, but what I haven't heard is the opinion of anyone who thinks there are other ways to approach this problem. And I know there are people out there that think this is a bad idea.  That we have other options.  But the price to pay for speaking out is potentially too high.  That's why I had to speak up.  I love our kids, I love the town where I was raised, and yes, I believe the "Middle Matters".  But I also think we can do better than putting this town into even more debt for our kids to inherit.   

And that is MY opinion. 

Jasmin Pike lives in Rockport