On WCBU (89.9 FM) tonight, they aired a half-hour interview with outgoing District 150 School Board member Garrie Allen. They touched on many topics, but I was particularly interested in his remarks about the Glen Oak School controversy.
Garrie Allen believes the city should butt out of the school board’s building plans — that it’s none of their business — unless, of course, they are in favor of the school board’s plans, in which case their help is welcome. He further believes that the residents, parents, and city council have an agenda: they want the school district to “clean up” the East Bluff, which he kept calling “a blighted area.” That should be the city’s job, he contends, not the school district’s.
Allen stated he was really surprised when all the controversy erupted over the Glen Oak Park location for the school. He said he thought the school board would be praised for their progressive and innovative idea and people would be lining up to volunteer their help to make it happen. Instead, the only group that really understands what the school district is trying to do, says Garrie, is the park district, which approved an intergovernmental land-sharing agreement with the school district.
I couldn’t be more disappointed with Mr. Allen’s comments.
I don’t remember Mr. Allen asking the city to “butt out” when they offered their police force to double as truancy officers. I don’t recall the city being asked to “butt out” when Mayor Ardis challenged the community to raise money for a “Peoria Promise” program that would reward students who stayed in District 150 with a free or partially-paid college education. Apparently, Mr. Allen thinks cooperation is a one-way street, from the city to the school district.
And what kind of hyper-provincial mentality believes that cleaning up a blighted neighborhood is somehow opposed to the school board’s educational objectives? One would think the school board would welcome and assist attempts to stabilize the neighborhood, since that would improve students’ home environment — and if their home environment is safe and stable, it will be easier for students to focus on their school work. But instead, Mr. Allen paints the city’s attempts to work with the school board to stabilize neighborhoods as something that will help the city, but hurt the students. This kind of twisted logic would leave Solomon scratching his head.
I had the pleasure of voting against Mr. Allen in the last election. He lost by a considerable margin, but I savor the small part I played in his defeat.
You know what amazes me about this whole Glen Oak School thing? It’s that, despite the fact that nearly every parent, neighbor, representative, resident, professional, worker, etc., in the East Bluff and the city at large has expressed disapproval of the district’s plan, the school district still thinks that they made the right decision and are doing the right thing. They’ve had Bradley professors, city commission members, a state senator, Glen Oak students, etc., all speak out against the board’s actions. Are they deterred? Has the thought, “Hmm, maybe we were wrong,” crossed their minds, if even for a fleeting moment?
Hardly. If anything, they’re all the more steeled in their opinions. If Moses walked in the district offices on Wisconsin with two tablets that said “Don’t build on Glen Oak Park” and brought 10 plagues on the district, I’m convinced the board would ignore him, too (no doubt citing separation of church and state). This kind of overconfidence is baffling, yet endemic in this board of education. For a school district that wants to build a “community center” style school, they sure are doing their darndest to alienate the community.
I think the only thing we can do is exactly what we did to Mr. Allen. Vote them out at the next available opportunity.
ADDENDUM:Â I see on the July 11 council agenda that there’s intergovernmental cooperation between the school district and the city called the “Safer Neighborhood Schools Sidewalk Improvement Project.” I wonder if Mr. Allen signed on to that agreement, or if he felt the city should “butt out” of that, too.
I have talked to a lot of people who approve of the new Glen Oak School. These people are not out-spoken on this as they see it as a new school is being built and in an area that needs it. I don’t have a problem with the Glen Oak site either. I think it is a great location and will, if anything, improve the area and the park which I haven’t visited in years because of the gang activity I have seen there. Maybe the loudest people, IMO, are the minority in this case. I welcome replacing an aging old school, turning THAT lot into a green space for the neighborhood and developing a corner at Prospect and Frye that needs some face-lifting. Really, what is so wrong about that location? All I see there is aging houses, old buildings that house various businesses and a rock lot. A new school built there will be an asset to the area, improve property values, as will the tearing down of the old school, and will not in any way change Glen Oak Park in it’s use. In fact, it may increase its usage which is why the Park District is on it. If you think the people should be in on the decision to locate a school, well that could bring as many opinions as there are people. The people on school board are not paid, but elected to do this kind of decision making for us concerning our schools. People cry and cry for change, for new schools, and better education opportunities and when the Board acts, they cry some more.
It is true that no matter what the school board decides, *someone* is going to be against it. You can’t please all the people all the time. But in this case, there’s more than just a few disaffected people. Did you attend or read a transcript of the public forum that was held May 1? If you’re wondering what’s wrong with the park site, I would suggest checking that out so you can read the neighbors’ and parents’ own words.
Is the East Bluff really “blighted?” I drive through there pretty often (and rented a house on the north edge of it when we first moved here). It’s not North Prospect or Weaver Ridge, but it’s a decent neighborhood. I actually like driving through it, as I always see activity, families out and about, kids playing, etc.
And having recently helped defeat the expansion of the hazardous waste landfill here in town, I can say with great confidence that just because most or more, or whatever, people don’t care to object to the Glen Oak site at Glen Oak Park doesn’t make it a good decision. Or the best possible solution for the students and the community.
To me it boils down to one thing, keeping the school centrally located in the community that it serves best serves the entire community. More kids can walk or bike to it especially. Moving it to the very edge of the community cuts off this option for kids and families on the far side of the district. More cars and commuting to school.
Well, two things. The school should be an integral part of the community, and I think it should play a role in stabilizing the community’s problems. A school is not an island.
Emtronics: Great reply!
CGiselle12: Are you serious?
CGiselle12, many parts of the East Bluff are most certainly blighted, but not the whole area.
Yes and I still see nothing at all wrong with the site. As for the kids riding their bikes to school, you must be in la-la land. Most kids do not ride bikes to school in that area. Bikes get stolen. Most kids take the bus because most are on public aide and qualify for a free bus ride. Mom isn’t going to get out of bed and drive the kid. (Yes some do) As for the center of the neighborhood, who’s to say what exactly is the center of the East Bluff? It depends on who you talk to. So the location isn’t really an issue. In fact, more people have been killed crossing Wisconsin Ave than Prospect in that area. Witness all the 4-way stops signs on Wisconsin. What it boils down to is greed among some of the homeowners at the old site hoping to get bought out. Just look how fast some of those are willing to sell at the Glen Oak Park site. Didn’t hear those people complain. As for gaining public input on where to build, that’s the Board’s job to decide. Not everyone is going to like every location and opening it up to a public debate is going to do nothing productive except foster bad feelings and hate. It seems in this community, nothing is done “right”. The baseball field, the museum, the TIF’s, the interstate at Sterling and on and on. For a change, I for one am going to accept the Glen Oak Park location and am willing to bet after it’s built and running, some people will fall all over each other to pat themselves on the back.
Um, anyone looking at a map can tell you that the park site is decidedly not in the center of the bluff by anyone’s definition. I don’t think even the school district is disputing that the location is not central.
That’s a provocative statement. Can you back that up? Show me the stats.
Oh, come on. I suppose they’re in cahoots with the CIA, too. And they were all hiding on the grassy knoll during the public hearing.
Were you not just complaining about museum square in a previous post? Peoria does do a lot of things wrong, regrettably, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say nothing is done right. I was in favor of the Heart of Peoria Plan and its implementation in the Prospect Road and Sheridan Road corridors, for instance. That’s a great example of things being done right.
Yes, I can see now that ignoring the parents, residents, and concerned citizens the board represents is clearly the high road, the path to peace. Listening to those who live in the neighborhood and send their children to East Bluff schools would be foolish and lead only to bad feelings and hate. Thanks for setting me straight. [/sarcasm]
CJ says: “Um, anyone looking at a map can tell you that the park site is decidedly not in the center of the bluff by anyone’s definition. I don’t think even the school district is disputing that the location is not central.”
I Say: The current Glen Oak School is not in the center of the east bluff either. So the issue of build in the center is moot.
The latest victim was a child hit by a pickup truck by Kroger’s a few years back. (The child was killed) The city’s response to the high traffic on narrow Wisconsin to this was to install 4-way stop signs. That’s not citing the stats you want but according to the people who angerily showed up at a city council meeting demanding stop signs and police enforcement of the Wisconsin and Frye area, this was but the latest in pedestrian accidents by the school. I believe they were also demanding a traffic light at Frye and Wisconsin but that was turned down. So where the child was killed, got a 4-way stop sign.
I know one property owner by the school that is hoping that they build on the current location and hoping they need his house/land as he puts it; “The neighborhood is a shitbox” and he wants out…for a profit. His car has been stolen twice from his driveway.
Yes, I did complain about the museum, IMO, it isn’t being done right either. The taxpayers do not need to be paying for an underground parking deck but I am sure that will be shoved down our throats much like the TIF was for the baseball park. There still isn’t any interest in that area for development. Go figure…
There is nothing wrong with public input when done in a proper forum but I have to wonder how many of the parents of kids that will actually go to Glen Oak will show up? While there were concerned people/parents there, they all had their own agendas about what should and shouldn’t be done. All this does is foster hate between the school board and parents some of whom don’t even live in the east bluff.
If you think that a majority of parents of the kids will show up and voice their concerns and offer constructive ideas as to where they think a new school for their area should be built, you are indeed in la-la land. Observably, you have never attended a PTO meeting at Glen Oak. (4 to 5 people show) It will be a shouting match. I have been to many public forums sponsored by the school district and everyone has turned into a shouting match with hateful comments being thrown at people. Now there is parent involvement. (sarcasm)
It should be the concern of all citizens what the district is doing with our money and I still firmly believe that the majority in this case is silent and silent for a reason. They believe the location the board picked is a good location. They believe we need a new school and it needs to be on a bigger parcel of land than the current school is on. If not at the park, where? That corner of the park is ideal and if you don’t think so, watch how fast the district buys out the homeowners around Glen Oak. They will sell in a New York second. Why? because that is just a choice area to live. (sarcasm)
BTW, do you live in Peoria CJ?
I beg to differ on the reason they’re selling out so fast on that corner. The reason is more likely (a) they know that if they don’t sell, they’re just delaying the inevitable because the district will acquire the houses via eminent domain anyway, and (b) the district is paying premium prices for the homes — if you were offered half-again or twice the value of your house, I think you’d probably sell, too.
As far as there being a “silent majority” in favor of the district’s plan, you can’t claim them for your “side” (as it were) as long as they’re silent. I could just as easily claim that the “silent majority” favors those who want the new school built at Wisconsin and Frye.
And yes, unlike another popular blogger who shall remain nameless (*cough*billdennis*cough*), I still live in Peoria. 🙂 I’ve lived in Peoria my entire life, as have my parents, my grandparents, and my great-grandparents. I grew up on what was then the edge of town (around where Barnes & Noble is today), then moved to the East Bluff when I got married in 1994; lived there for eleven years before moving to the West Bluff last year (needed a bigger house for our growing family). We looked at houses near Glen Oak Park when we were house-hunting, incidentally.
I am sorry we difer on this but I respect your opinions and your unique point of view. I find it hard sometimes to come across the way I feel in word.
Thanks, Emtronics. I respect your opinions, too. I do hope that wherever they put the school, that it is successful. I know that we both agree on the same outcome: better education for Peoria’s children.
There happens to be a letter in the PJS forum today that basically says what I have been saying about the Glen Oak Park school location all along. see: http://www.pjstar.com/stories/071006/FOR_BA7FTQ3J.059.shtml
That is some of the silent majority I have been talking about. If true, I sure hope they get “loud” too!