There has been positive news this week regarding the approval of the FY 2015 CCPS budget but the final decisions and vote won’t happen until this Tuesday. We need to keep contacting the Cecil County Council and Executive over the next few days to show our continued support of our public schools.
Not sure what to say? Here’s an email you can copy and send.
On Wednesday, it was announced that the state has contributed $125,000 to the county for “restrooms, bleachers and scoreboards” at the Calvert Regional Park project.
As a “bleeding heart liberal” (or insert other inflammatory term), I believe if people are handing out money, we should take it but it’s tough for me to see the rationale for committing that kind of money to a new project when the athletic facilities at our schools are subpar.
Scoreboards: If we’re giving away scoreboards, I nominate Perryville
First, let’s talk about scoreboards. Here’s a photo of the one from Perryville High School. Pretty nice, huh? No need for an upgrade here. Love the patina. And it has a particularly charming feature where there are bulbs out on the “Guest” side so you can’t tell if the number is a 3,6,9,8…you get the picture. (Perryville supporters, lots of people have told me about various scenarios with the scoreboard: promises made, refusals, etc., but let’s save that for another day.)
Bleachers: North East had to beg for theirs
Next, bleachers. While the bleachers at Panther Stadium are in fine condition, North East High School had to basically beg for the funds to replace their wooden bleachers in 2012. (I think Elkton and Rising Sun are in decent shape.)
You get a restroom & you get a restroom! (Oprah-style)
The term “restroom” is a little lofty for describing the bathroom facilities at the stadium at Perryville High. I can only speak of the ladies’ room but there are only two stalls and the area is so small that I couldn’t even take a photo of it. I didn’t have a rule with me but I would bet the facility doesn’t meet ADA guidelines. While I don’t go to football games (gasp!), I’ve been told that there are considerable plumbing issues when the toilets are heavily used.
Next in line for new toilets is probably North East High School but I’ll have to take your word for it. I’ve heard enough about their facilities to steer clear.
How do other high schools measure up? Elkton High has the Taj Mahal of ladies’ rooms! Eight or more stalls, bright lights, plenty of room to move, and heat! Yes, I have photos but do I really need to post them? The facilities at Rising Sun are respectable and I’m not sure about Bo Manor.
Take care of our existing facilities first
Personally, I can’t justify building new facilities when the existing facilities that our local communities use on a daily basis are in need.
Whether you agree or not–let our elected officials know where you stand. Silence is consent.
Final decisions on the FY 2015 Cecil County budget will be made this Tuesday.
