This is not just about the South High School athletic track and field. This is about what happens when there is no long-term planning by the Minneapolis School District. This is about what happens when there is no long-term plan by the District. This is about what happens when there is no dialogue, no transparency with what the District wants and what an individual school needs.
In regards to our school, South, this lack of leadership, lack of planning is extremely evident on our athletic track and field. This is shown with what our students are offered to play on, practice on and compete on. This is about keeping our students safe. This is about letting our students strive to do their best. This is about making our students proud of where they come from and who they are.
This field, this lack of space to practice on, this mess of busing the students all around town, this unsafe surface and deteriorated track and field and inaccessible bleachers are not acceptable and an embarrassment that has been put up with for too long.
This really is about MPS not having a plan BEFORE they build on the last of FOUR different pieces of land that MPS has owned without considering the future of the South High School students. MPS wants a building on the property on Lake Street between 20th and 21st Avenues. MPS had stated as late as 2015 that this property was to be considered with possible expansion by South, yet South has not been included in the conversation as to what the long-term needs of the South High student.
We ask MPS to have a long-term plan for South High School BEFORE they sign contracts to build a building for two MPS programs that the proposed building, even before being built, is acknowledged to being too small for the two programs. As for parking, big problem there too since the number of parking spaces is the same as only the ABE's currently parking lot. Where are T+ students and staff to park in an already high density parking area with South, the Y and local businesses? Once this undersized and overflowing parking lot is built, how long before the District changes it's mind again and we have a $29 million outdated building and now what happens?
Let's include South in this discussion, now, before it's too late.
As MPS Athletic Director Trent Tucker said on WCCO Radio, "athletics are the front porch of any school district". Well, our front porch is a non-welcoming, falling apart, unsafe and unkept place. But don't worry about seeing it at night, because our front porch doesn't even have any lights!
In regards to our school, South, this lack of leadership, lack of planning is extremely evident on our athletic track and field. This is shown with what our students are offered to play on, practice on and compete on. This is about keeping our students safe. This is about letting our students strive to do their best. This is about making our students proud of where they come from and who they are.
This field, this lack of space to practice on, this mess of busing the students all around town, this unsafe surface and deteriorated track and field and inaccessible bleachers are not acceptable and an embarrassment that has been put up with for too long.
This really is about MPS not having a plan BEFORE they build on the last of FOUR different pieces of land that MPS has owned without considering the future of the South High School students. MPS wants a building on the property on Lake Street between 20th and 21st Avenues. MPS had stated as late as 2015 that this property was to be considered with possible expansion by South, yet South has not been included in the conversation as to what the long-term needs of the South High student.
We ask MPS to have a long-term plan for South High School BEFORE they sign contracts to build a building for two MPS programs that the proposed building, even before being built, is acknowledged to being too small for the two programs. As for parking, big problem there too since the number of parking spaces is the same as only the ABE's currently parking lot. Where are T+ students and staff to park in an already high density parking area with South, the Y and local businesses? Once this undersized and overflowing parking lot is built, how long before the District changes it's mind again and we have a $29 million outdated building and now what happens?
Let's include South in this discussion, now, before it's too late.
As MPS Athletic Director Trent Tucker said on WCCO Radio, "athletics are the front porch of any school district". Well, our front porch is a non-welcoming, falling apart, unsafe and unkept place. But don't worry about seeing it at night, because our front porch doesn't even have any lights!