The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

SECTION 2 - PAGE 6 - PI.AINDEALFR - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15, 1978 - nan In 50 words or loss, toll what you think tho futuro of high school education in McHonry should bo: (Continued from page 5) We need to do a better job of teaching kids and preparing them for the reality of life. One 4-year school! To have 2 4-year schools now would split our community at a time it shouldn't. Our students are losing 600 of their friends to Johnsburg. Creative 2 4-year schools would mean our students would lose another 50 percent of their friends, and that's pretty hard on young people. Also East will never be equal to West. It hasn't in ten years. Could be better for the larger mass of students who must also display more self-responsibility attitude , personal cleanliness (clothing, etc.) speech, etc. Students need more supervision re school area, bus, personal cars, community area. Continuing industrial arts is important in our community. A trade school to benefit light industry in our area would be mo6t useful and practical. , I suspect that the cost figure projected by the school board can be cut in half without impairing education. We do not need, nor can we afford, educational "palaces" as the teachers want. Keep it simple and cheap! Good grade of education without raising taxes to unbearable heights. Perhaps parents paying for more "extras" if child is involved in extra curriculum. I want my children to have the best education possible at reasonable tax rate with emphasis on vocational as well as college oriented careers. I would like to feel my money is being spent more benefically than I do right now. Perhaps a stronger discipline enforcement at the junior high level would leave high school teachers free to "teach". The 2-2 system is a failure. Too bad our kids had to be guinea pigs! We need an adequate, well organized system. I feel it should continue with the fine quality education it has offered in the past. Save money by getting rid of East (too expensive to keep up), save money on bussing, administrators, etc. Unite faculty, students, etc., in one building. When the state offers us as much money. As it is, we should take it. Psychologically, it is better to have all 4 years together. Above all, we must maintain quality education and I, as a taxpayer, am willing to pay for it. Form a unit district with District 15, use East for a Junior high building and have either l or 2 4-year high schools. This is a large order and fifty words seem inadequate. Our children should learn to read and write, to think and act. They should learn to forecast and take responsibility for their own actions. Knowledge and wisdom will come. Their physical needs must be provided for as they are today and surely there must be "soil" for spiritual growth as well. I think they call it Values today. Develop every child to his optimum development in all academic subjects, also art, music, and physical education. Include vocational work, too. It should stress the practical economics and values of everyday living, but without preaching to high school teens. Another suggestion-house the Alternative school in either campus and sell the present structure to cover expenses so sorely needed. McHenry schools should adjust their budget so that they have adequate educational facilities for books and supplies for each of their classes. Cut back on some of the salaras of the Administration. Get rid of the modulaf.jQtflefi at East campus and go back to the old fashioned stfHy hall The selling of McCracken field is unjust, uncalled for, and a total waste of money if a new field is to be made. I feel the modular system has been confusing to teachers, parents, and students. It does little to prepare the student for the work-a-day world which is not structured with free time during an 8 hour day. Lack of discipline is a definite problen in our schools, I do not feel a student of 14,15,16,17 or even 18 years has developed enough self-discipline that he-she does not require the guidance of his peers. A productive life is guided by discipline (self or otherwise) and the 4 years of high school should be the building blocks for adult years. The basics of education (reading, writing, arithmetic, and "how about just a little religion?" are sadly neglected in the high schools of today. I feel the bonus subjects could be offered as night courses. This course of action would see students attending because of a sincere interest, not because it is an easy subject to get a grade in. Concentrate on building adequate classrooms to house projected enrollment. Delegate all extra curricular demands to a secondary position where they belong until such time as the necessary funds become available to incorporate them into the existing structure. Our main concern and responsibility is to educate our youth, not entertain them. We should get back to basics. Education is costing more and more and the kids come out with less useable knowledge each year. Cut out the frills and teach them what they need to get a job and be able to do the job. With the cost of college > education rising so much there will be fewer kids able to afford to go on to college so let's give them something in high school that will enable them to get a job. The taxpayers have reached the breaking point so let's stop yelling for more and do a lot more with what we have. I think (once being a student of both schools) that the students should be educated in the area of drugs (which I think you still do), sex education, abortion, courses of introduction in business law (to familiarize the student of every-day legafbilKistrteaLestate. co-operation with society, and other business-society relatecTcourses Also a smoking cigarettes course; the drugs and health related effects. These courses should not be given the option-but be a requirement. I enjoyed your clerical and office occupation courses, business writing, shorthand, record keeping, family living, psychology, typing, and child development classes, along with a couple of others-driver's ed. Four years of required PE should be made optional in addition to History, Science, and a couple of other courses. I think that the above courses would prepare a student for society a little more clearly (after graduation) then when I graduated in 1973 with little or half of the above knowledge. Don't let the students rule you or the school. Thank you for asking "our" opinion. If high taxes force us to leave McHenry, our children will have no part of the "future of high school education." I believe we should maintain the 2-2 system as is now being used. Keep the wonderful teachers we now have on staff. Go back to reading, writing, and arithmetic method of teaching and put a little discipline in the classroom and the future of high school education in McHenry will be one to be proud of as it has been in the past years. Adequate-and children should be taught not to do so much vandalism. Equal to or above its present standards. We have no idea what type of education the kids are getting now at McHenry high school. The quality of education was good when we attended the school in the 50's, but it seems that the students now are given too much freedom and not enough discipline. There's such a waste of funds on fancy equipment and other unnecessary things. Tlie teachers should teach the children instead of leaving them to learn on their own. Also children should go to school all day, not one-half of the time. Also that way the teachers will earn their salary for 9 months of the year, instead of the children having to do it on their own. What could possibly be wrong with East campus that couldn't be rectified for a lot less money than tearing down or selling it to be torn down? How did our ancestors ever learn anything in a one-room log cabin? If a person wants to learn, the building makes little difference. Outside classes are very effective. There is plentv more to be said. I want my children to have a good background in reading, writing, and mathematics. With a good foundation they will make it in this world whether they choose to attend college or a technical school to further their education. I feel requests for additional funds is a mistake at this time. People are tired of being taxed to the hilt and to see those taxes misused - tearing down perfectly good buildings to build new ones! Return law and order to your schools. Spend more funds for dedicated teachers who will not be intimidated by the students attending the schools. These students have to be taught what they are in school for to learn not to dictate the way they want to be taught. Get back to the same teaching of basics. Do away with all the frills. The State requires that all children must have an education until 16 years of age but does it have to be in a Waldorf Astoria type building? Since when should a student have the privilege of answering this survey? We the parents and other members of 156 are paying the taxes for their education. It is our decision what type of school building they attend and what type of education they receive not theirs. Last but not least when inflation hits you must cut spending not increase it. The building of West campus was a blundering mistake from the word go and people who live in District 156 have been paying for it every since. I have no desire to have my tax money support another stupid mistake. Utilize what is available. Inconvenience never hurt anybody. Maybe when some respect is restored in the high school students they will deserve something better. Eliminate about 150 to 200 of the subjects now attempting to be taught and keep their budget and expenses below their income. We feel methods of education and discipline in all schools should go back to the old way. Teachers and principals need more authority in discipline. Schools are for learning, not smoking, vandalism, etc. Many children are afraid at school. Things must change before we'll support any referendums. Since no one seems willing to buy East for what it's worth to the district, keep it. Renovate and use it. West may require an addition, and East would cost $$$ to update, but the community would be more willing to accept proposals that appear to be money-saving, rather than outrageous tax increases to build another new school. The board seems to concerned with proposals not relevant to saving money. Increasing curriculum does not cut cost, to get above water, cut the curriculum, enlarge classes, do what it takes to save money. Show the community the board is trying to save. Then the community may be more willing to spend. Right now we should have on 4-year school system using both buildings. West should be the major center with East being used for vocational training, driver's ed, administration offices etc. That would mean selling the building on Main street for an excess of $100,000. Eventually we will need two 4-year buildings. Then East should be called Duker high, renovated and we have done the most for the least money. McHenry will need another school and I think some real planning should be started now instead of thinking only about our present needs. We should have two good, decent 4-year high schools preparing kids for both college and the world of work. We shouldn't let the schools get bigger than they are now. When we need more room, we should build a new school. Maybe then East could become a comprehensive 4-year school specializing in vocational education. Go back to regular ways of teaching, stop the modular system for all. Let the kids know it's up to them to either find ways of making money for specials like records, more books, sport equipment and musical and science projects. It's up to them if they really want something bad enough otherwise they will never be able to accept the world for what it is - a pitching-in effort to make its wheels keep turning. Why do they need a commons? They're there to learn and have their fun after school! Hire dedicated teachers who like to teach and not have fun in school. I think we should be giving more education for slow and hard to learn students. Teach more trades in high schools. Make them interesting to hard to learn students. This 2-2 system in high school system is ridiculous. I lived here for 6 years and this system seems to never end. Why? The high school systems on the North Shore tried this system over 10 years ago and found out it did not work within one year. How long will it take for this school system to wake up and see the light. If not the light- learn from others' experience. Other towns, Skokie, Niles, New Trier, Evanston. have crown but none have destroyed their old high school buildings. Replacing a present working structure in the future (destroying it now) is wasting tax funds. Can a building like East campus be purchased and built for $1 million in 5 years? McHenry should consider a unit district. We are top heavy with administrations. We must bring discipline back and this starts at the admin-teacher level. The only thing wrong at East is a lack of junior and senior peer pressure. That in itself controls 80 percent of potential problems. We should also sell the administration building on Main street and have that function into one of the schools. We spend too much money on studies and not enough on positive programs. Because of mandated vocational programs, East campus should become an academic 4-year high school, with vocational programs provided at West campus. This would provide great flexibility and parents will be able to make "some real choices for their children's education. I think that the educational system should go back to the 3 R's. The Modular system leaves too much free time, to the students. More discipline and devote more time to teaching common subjects, such as Math, History, English, etc. No more epen campus. I think we should have two high schools. These schools should be for pupils from mentally retarded to genius level. The voting public expects their dollars to be carefully spent,but wants quality education, Teachers dedicated to hard work and love of young people, a common* sense discriminating school board. Back to basic education with emphasis on reading and correct grammar in all phases erf education including teachers, etc. Better discipline. Larger student load per teacher with less teachers and administration to cut down real costs. Well I hope we get money for where we need it. But I'm not for selling East nor is anyone else. If you listen you will forget it all and go on with the work that is to be done now. Like 2-4 year schools. And try to give your staff and kids what they need. Thanks, I feel better. A teacher dress code established. Eliminate at least 75 percent of extra bus trips. Enforce discipline to gain better teacher respect. Keep students in classroom to eliminate vandalism. Do away with teacher aides. Due to population, two 4-year schools are a necessity. I believe the campus location would be more convenient if any high school additions are needed and would eliminate many transportation costs to and from school! At present, choices of "classes" ar$ far too numerous, such as 5-6 English class selections per semester! Since the grade school district claims to need expansion why not sell East to the grade school district and add on to West making a 4-year high school. The grade schools would have ample room for many years and the taxpayers might favor a referendum for the nigh school if they can see no need for continued grade school referendum. Sell old football field and use that towards two 4-year buildings. Make new field at West campus. Try to get student and parent both interested in the school. East campus is like Landmark school building--well built. Check all teachers to see if they know how to teach. The school should be run by education not P.T.A. The teachers should be allowed to discipline the students. They need more discipline. Teach the old fashioned way reading, writing, Math. Forget all the frills.They spend half their time outdoors running, bow and arrows, etc. The classroom is the place to teach. Much stricter and less free time. Having spent a lot of time, mainly in East, I feel that there should be more teaching and learning. The kids have never, and probably will never, fully grasp the mod system. There is a big improvement over the days when we had 20 some Mods in a day. But there are still too many kids who have "nuttin' to do" for too many minutes a day. They don't take advantage of IS time except, to hang around and kill time. Why should kids sit in McDonald's (West students) for 3 mods a day when the buildings are lighted and heated and the teachers are paid for a full day. I would like to see more discipline in the ranks and more self-discipline implanted in the kids. This is the last chance at education a lot of these kids have and I don't think they are adequately prepared for the world. Our town will suffer if the kids aren't well educated. Too much time is spent just chasing kids around and tracking them down most of the day. They should have the feeling that they get a full day's pay (in this case an education) for a full day's work. When they graduate they will find out that the working world doesn't give passes to kill time. McHenry high school should provide an excellent basic education to each student, as well as providing alternative approaches to education which meet the varied needs of its student population. There needs to be a comprehensive vocational program for grades 9-12. Since only about 31 percent of our students go on for further training, we need to educate our students with skills for which will enable them to enter the job market, skills which will suit them for family and community responsibilities. McHenry high school has a high density of students with special needs which need to be met by a responsive educational system. There is no long range plan for this district based upon a sound philosophical framework which guides the decisions which are made. Expediency seems to be what guides decisions rather than sound educational philosophy and thorough planning. I feel the system should return to a disciplined structure stressing the tools of survival; writing, reading and Math. This is a blue collar community and in order to retain our graduates, education should be focused toward the employment available, the trades. For those who excel and wish college, programs should be available, but it should not be tte intent of the school system to put every child in college. I think the school system should definitely do away with the mod system and get back to the basics of school educations. I think the industrial arts program should be improved. I also think discipline could be improved. Do away with the mod system. Get back to the old method of full periods all day. Get more discipline with the students. TTie grading system should be changed. We worked for our grades in school - either you earned them or you failed. With students (not all) being so destructive-they are not there to learn. Why vote for better schools when what we hnvp is destroyed or detaced. The dress code is a disgrace to our town. Get them off the lawn at East campus. They might learn inside. Stop the excessive spending and get back to a basic education program. I definitely feel that it is necessary to have all 4 years in one building. How to bring this about in the best interests of the styidents and the taxpayers is a problem I wouldn't know how to solve. I feel that the school board and administrators have tried to cut down. It has been my opinion and others that we are top-heavy on the administration staff. It is very important that principals spend more time observing teachers regularly and forget some of the unnecessary paper work. Education in McHenry needs discipline, respect for the teachers and pride in the building that was paid for by their parents. Not to tear it apart like they are now doing. End the modidar system. Teach in the school rooms. No more bussing to ski resorts, apple orchards, zoos or out of town for any reason. This is the duty of the parent on the weekend. We have a good East campus. Keep it, don't destroy it. I would like to see a Blue Ribbon committee - the mayor, City Council, real estate men, contractors, and taxpayers check and investigate if East campus should be sold. No one on the 156 school board should be present. Also do not sell McCracken field.This all belongs to the citizens (taxpayers) of McHenry They have enough personnel to keep both high schools open. No new personnel needed. Two 4-year high schools is what McHenry needs. The best in the west! (west of Chicago). Suggest that continuous troublemakers require a parent to attend school with the student all day and in all classes including the school bus ride before being allowed to continue in attendance. I would like to see more structure and a better extra­ curricular activities program and some stronger community participation for faculty and students alike. New buildings have little correlation to good education and are lost on the priority list compared with cost of education, maintenance, and opportunities for education. Basic education is necessary, not optional. English, language, mathematics, and science are necessities. Exposure to but not necessarily pursuit of, other expanded interests, is desirable. For example, exposure to music is good - but it is second in importance to meeting basic requirements. Make 2 4-year school buildings and sell the administration building. The East campus may not be in the best of location, but the sections of the buildings are too.good to be sold at $5 a square foot and then torn down. The West campus was built in the wrong location. Should have been built north of town and then Johnsburg would not have to build their own school. Remodel East campus. Have two 4-year high schools. Divide the school district into two sections. Have the students in the eastern section attend East campus, the students in the West section attend West campus. Good education does not come from a new school building, it comes from the teaching within. Many of our universities throughout the country are in buildings many years older than East campus. If the school board is concerned with improving the nigh school education of our students then I suggest replacing some of the teachers, not the school building. If any new school is to be built I pray it is a trade school. This type of school could incorporate the alternative school. Our young people need to be prepared to meet life prepared because so few are in a position to go to college. In the meantime, work for an increase in the work-study program. Sell administration building. Get rid of alternative school. There are those children, both male and female who are definitely destined for college and who are both economically and scholastically equipped to handle it. For those children our high school should offer the appropriate courses. On the other hand there are children who due to difference in temperament and personal inclination and not necessarily in intelligence are just not college material. For these kids it is not absolutely vital to teach a trade in itself so much as to teach the necessary reading, arithmetic and related basic skills, to the end that they can perform as skilled craftsmen in their chosen craft. The future should be 2 4-year high schools. The board does not influence the administration sufficiently to have good education or a good supervisor. If we are going to have better education, we need better supervisor and behavior control. If not - the future is bleak. McHenry obviously has sufficient students to warrant 2 4- year high schools. Present use of the 2-2 system creates poor morale and too many problems. District 15 has two Junior highs. Can't 156 do the same? Selling East campus constitutes gross financial irresponsibility. I do notthink East campus should be sold. The school will never get the price that it is worth. I think McCracken field could be sold and all football played at West campus. No high school should house more than about 1,000 students. Keep both East and West campus but make them both 4-year schools. Don't add on to West campus at all. Build a third school when it becomes necessary. Each school should have an enrollment of no more than 1,000 students. If three high schools are necessary this is the way it should be. Nothing works well when centralized, least of all schools. This (centralization) is the major problem in big cities. Let's not let it happen here. Get more dicipline in school and teach the important things instead of all the foolish things. Half of the graduates can't spell, add or multiply and have horrible handwriting. Teach more respect for others and others' property. Work on a dress code. Students look and act like bums. On front page of this paper, replacing gory car wreck pictures and smoking buildings. Try to please as many students as possible. May be less dropouts with a trade or vocational school. To keep the scholastic student in the right perspective and give the student who wants a trade a better chance. The 14-16 year old is important to please, for the community's sake. No smoking rule; two 4-year high schools; better organization by the board of education and administration; more discipline; 2-2 system must go; no matter what happens April 8 it is bad. I don't think McHenry has much future in education. These schools are trying to be run like colleges, with all these free mods and a lot of free time on their hands. These kids are not old enough for that and this is the reason you have so many problems and dope in the schools. We sent the kids for an education, not to have free time. Keep these kids busy and your schools might improve. First of all let's form a unit district. Use our buildings - don't sell them. Improve on vocational training. What a blessing to have these buildings. We can have the best vocational training in the county. The state will give more money for a unit district and I can't help but believe the C.D.B. would help renovate East. In five years McHenry would be large enough to support 2 4-year schools. I don't like the idea of splitshifts - which would probably be necessary at West in five years, if 4-year plan were put into effect; at least until a new building was built. My husband and I are against a a 2-2 situation. If East could be fixed up adequately, to be used for the next 15-20 years then we'd favor 2 4-year schools. If the latter is economically unfeasible then we favor 4 years at West. McHenry high schools should offer a well-rounded program exposing the student to a wide range of career possibilities, with emphasis on guidance and aptitude. Hiring teachers with dedication, and making every effort to encourage students to be good citizens and helping them to care about themselves and their community. Get the alternative school students (goof-offs) back in the high school. That school is a complete waste of money. Get the administrators back in the school building where they can see what is going on. Mr. Duker had excellent discipline and also respect of the students because he was in the building and always was present at noon in the cafeteria. Now no one is in attendance and the students run wild, especially at noon. I feel the administration should take the lead and utilize the $$$ and staff present in a philosophically sound (from academics through discipline) program. Right now confidence and trust have been lost through poor planning, poor strategy, blaming (Johnsburg as 'scapegoat'),second guessing, "supposed" funding, questionable referendums, etc. Maybe Johnsburg residents had foresight and community interest that's been needed here. When the community was included it seemed like the board didn't listen or react! . Right now make West the Comprehensive 4-year school but utilize East for vocational training etc. By all means form a unit district, which will enable us to get more state money and when the time comes when we need 2 4-year schools it will be much less costly to upgrade East than to start from scratch! I would like to see the school districts consolidate, then use East for seventh, eighth and ninth grades. West should have its needed additions to house tenth, eleventh and twelfth grades. With East as a middle school, the Junior high and Parkland could house the overcrowding from grade schools. I feel with consolidation, in the long run, savings will be found, especially in administration costs. Viow off Othor Respondents A few of the responses to the survey could not be well categorized to conform to the questions asked. One indicated the writer would like to see all four years at West, but undo* questioning on the sale of East said: "Terrible, waste property like that. What we need is a vocational school in this area. This was signed as "Dropout and parent". One person who returned the survey suggested the following questions should be included: (1) one four-year system, utilizing both buildings, until growth makes it necessary to have two four- year schools; (2) a unit district whereby all schools would be under the jurisdiction of one board and one superintendent (also receive more state aid as a unit district). One respondent indicated a choice for two four-year high schools, but said, "Tear East down no matter what happens April 8. The building is past repair". The same writer, a teacher in another district, suggests building two four-year schools when needed. One who answered filled in none of the boxes that followed (Contlnuod on pag« 7) /