I've had a relationship with the Anchorage School District since 1962 -- first as a student, then as an educator, now as a parent. That is why I volunteered to serve on the steering committee for the West-Romig Redevelopment as a Center of Community. I urge you to learn about the visioning report and all of the steps that went into producing the master plan, both which represent thousands of hours of community input: www.asdk12.org/renewal/HS/west_romig/index.asp
If you simply read the June 13 ADN article, you did not receive a complete nor fair appraisal; many do not understand Schools as Center of Community, a model being embraced successfully around the country.
In reality, West has always been a center of community, especially when it offered the only auditorium in town and when it was the community college site before Anchorage Community College/UAA existed. The ASD rentals department or the West community can both attest to the continued heavy use of the auditorium, gymnasiums and other rooms in both schools year-round.
This master plan takes the required renovation of two of our oldest Anchorage schools to the next level by intentionally designing the campus to support even more community participation. What better use of tax dollars than to have buildings being used most hours of the day and year-round. The project is not calling for construction of a whole new school, but a renovation of existing facilities.
The master plan design supports building up, an innovative way to deal with the 36-acre land shortage on the West-Romig site (based on land requirements of all other Anchorage schools); this would cost from $25-35 million if the land were even available. The team also analyzed which buildings would be more cost effective to replace than renovate; e.g. the current West math wing is substandard. Of course the costs to bring such old structures up to code are substantial, but with renovation there is no choice.
However, all along, the intent of the West-Romig Center of Community project is that it will be funded in a non-traditional way -- state, municipal, district, private and nonprofit sources, and that it will leverage facilities of both the MOA (swimming pool, hockey rink) and the ASD for maximum educational and community use.
The steering committee had major concerns about student safety/security and therefore the design also addresses those (Center of Community on 1st floor; 2nd and 3rd floors are for ASD use only; sealing off areas).
The West-Romig master plan includes a learning plan that addresses how to increase student achievement. A near-term implementation list was formulated to begin to impact student achievement long before any funding is obtained or any campus renovated. The municipality and the private sector have been involved in the discussions from the beginning.
Numerous businesses are already involved in these schools and are impacting student's education in a positive way. For example, Credit Union 1 is located in West, partners on teaching financial literacy to students and is preparing to train students for financial careers. (East High operates the "Bank in East" partnering with NBA/Wells Fargo for 11 years; Chugiak High runs the "Mustang Coop" partnering with Matanuska Valley Federal Credit Union for 6 years.) The substantial cost to open the branch at West was financed by Credit Union 1 -- not the school district.
Bringing the community into our schools often costs little to nothing but gives mutually beneficial results. The UAA Nursing Program recently received an award from my organization for their Romig partnership that offers students free sports physicals, resulting in increased athletic participation while giving the student nurses required practicum hours.
Both schools have many other valuable partnerships. Learn more about this project and then get involved to make it even better.
Tam Agosti-Gisler is the executive director for the nonprofit Anchorage School Business Partnerships that brings the business community into the schools to positively impact students' education. She serves on the mayor's School Budget Advisory Commission.
By TAM AGOSTI-GISLER