Gilman High School - Gilmanac Yearbook (Northeast Harbor, ME)

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CContinuedl A wider athletic program could also be carried out, including perhaps football, track, and even swimming, none of which are now available for either the North- east Harbor or Southwest Harbor schools. In mybelief a regional school on this Island would promote much better sportsmanship among the students and adults of the dif- ferent towns, develop a more ardent school spirit, and an increased desire to learn and take part in all activities. Even if it were possible to bring the curriculum of the small school to the standard of the area school, the expense for the individual towns would be much greater, also competition and challenge among a larger group of students is always helpful. The matter of transportation for the pupils of such a school is another big problem, but can be solved, I'm sure. The buses could pick up the high school students mtheway to the central school and carry the grade school pupils on the return trips. This interest in area schools started less than ten years ago inthe State of Maine. One area school has been organized already and another is about to open. Six other locations are invest- igating the possibility of such schools. H Letfs have our regional high school the next on the list. ELEANOR MERCHANT 'LQ CContinuedJ building of this size for such things as dances, meetings, and other public functions, not only forhigh school students, butfor grade school students and the alumni as well. In such a build- ing you could have indoor sports such as tennis, badminton, and others. It would be extremely unfair to expect the parents who have children in the grade schools to wait for a regional school when they can have the benefits of a new school in a few years. I think the educators are unfair when theytry to convince us that wecan have a regional school in the very near future. Another reason for favoring the Mount Desert High School is that the students are more closely associated with their teachers and fellow students. I don't think you will find the different cliques that you would in a larger school. In the sports department of a larger school there could be of- fered a larger choice to pick from, but can each child be given as much individual attention as inasmaller school? I think you would be taking away a great deal of responsibility and leadership from the boys and girls by com- bining the three schools into one team or one group. Why haven't the other three towns made any concrete statements concerning the regional school. Is it that they aren't interested? Why doesn't the Regional High School Committee find out if the different towns are financially able to borrow a sum of money sufficient to build a building proposed by the state educators?

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THE REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL PRO: Will we have a regional high school? There has been and will be much discussion for and against the new regional school, and one of the most important factors of the discussion will be the expense of building it. Of course the costofthe building itself will beinproportion to the valuation of the property, regardless of where it is finally located, and is usually figured on the basis per pupil of capacity which is estimated at the cost of between one thousand and ten thousand dol- lars per pupil. Operating costs would be no more and possibly a little less than in the present small scale schools. Most ofthe Island towns are in great need of new and larger school buildings. For several years Northeast Harbor has been working on plans for a new high school. Southwest Harbor is in need of a new and larger elemen- tary school and the present high school building could very well serve for the elementary grades. Bar Harbor, likewise, would use its present high school building as an elementary school. Inalarge area school of this type we could divide into a jun- iorliigh school and a senior high school. H'l1'fC? we cotld have a large g'y'nna:1i'.1..:1, which could be divided intotwo sinallcr gymaasituns, one for the girls and ine for the boys. Also, there would be .fi large sci- ence laboratory, rooms for art and rusic, public speaking and dramatics, and a comprehensive course in industrial arts and other specialized subjects. 0 CON: In the last few months there has been considerable discus'- sion on the merits of a Mount Desert High School as compared to a Regional Island School. I should like to point out the objections which I think would be paramount against a proposed Regional school. If such a project should go through, what will become of the land which the town has pur- chased for fifteen or eighteen thousand dollars? What about the money which we have spent on plans, architect fees, and other acpenses? Why, after seven years ofplanning for a new Mount Desert High School, should some of the townspeople try, to stop it, now that we are all ready to build? Could it be that these are the same people who have tried to prolong this project, even as far back as when we were purchasing land for the School site? In line Mount Desert High School the people have the opportunity to raise or lower the budget to fit the conditions. This would notbesoin the regional school, as this :matter would be deter- min ed by the Trustees. If the Trustees were men who were con- cerned wi th the big taxpayers' pocketbook then the result would bevery:..1:atisfactory to a great many peopl e. The records of Gilman High School Alumni who have gone to institutions of high learning are sufficient proof that a small school can provide an adequate education. I think that this town needs a

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CContinuedD To me it would be a mistake for the people of Mount Desert to delay in providing better school facilities for their boys and girls, especially after so much money,,time, and thought have already gone into the town project. Supporting the idea of the Regional School can mean nothing but delay and eventually failure, because there is not a sufficiently large number of people on the Island who think the plan a feasible one. PAUL RICHARDSON 'AQ