Small schools

[thetragichippy]

I went to a large school and my Son now goes to a small school. He LOVES it and is getting a great education and plays all the sports he possibly can. The teachers know everyone by name and that is something you will not get in a big school. 

Lastly, I just lost a bunch of brain cells responding to this ridiculous post.

 

[Jacket Mom]

 

Also...every school has a superintendent, principal, asst principal, (most likely), ath. director.... even schools with between 100 and 200 kids.   So a school with 150 kids is paying (minimum) 4 salaries at anywhere from 60-100 thousand dollars a year....and so is a school with 1000 kids..?  I think that's a monumental waste of money. 

Anyway..go ahead and let me have it.  

Well at our small school, the Sup, the Princ, the Asst Princ and the Ath Dir are all the same person.  Not very wasteful is it?  And if you had any knowledge about rural schools and rural communities, which apparently you seem to be lacking....when the school goes, so goes the community.  I kinda like my little spot in the woods and would like to see it stay there and on the map.  Texas is too big to have just a few dots on its map.  And if my child  doesn't go further in his athletic career, it's not because he goes to a small school with no other 'competition'.  It's because he hasn't the natural ability or he hasn't put in the work to make it happen.  If you have the ability and the work ethic, there are a multitude of avenues to take to get noticed.  Even the college coaches tell us they don't go to high school games like they used to because of all the camps, showcases, select teams etc.  Not to mention that there are ways to walk on.  Michael Jordan didn't play high school basketball from what I've read in the past, but yet he's one of if not the greatest player of all time.  As for the financial aspect of it, consolidation may eliminate a couple of administrative positions here or there if you're lucky.   But it probably won't.  Your comparison of 1000 kids to 100 kids is not even accurate.  The 1000 kid schools have multiple asst sups, multiple asst. princ and athletic personnel galore.   And consolidation of schools doesn't eliminate campuses per se, especially if you don't have schools within a 10 mile radius to consolidate.  You still have to have the teachers and you still have to have some type of administration on the campus as well as all the operational costs.  But if you do close campuses then guess what it does to the family??  As one poster stated about transportation, the kids would have to get on the bus by or before 6am each morning and get home much later.  But that's only if you don't have extracurricular activities.  Then it's much harder for parents to take care of their kids and it is much more costly for them to do the traveling.  Unless your idea is to stop kids from participating or require everyone to move to the city, then it's not logical for rural families to have to take that on.  I could go on about education, discipline and crime, but this topic just really makes me want to scream.

 

Edited September 17, 2015 by Jacket Mom

[Jacket Mom]

I went to a large school and my Son now goes to a small school. He LOVES it and is getting a great education and plays all the sports he possibly can. The teachers know everyone by name and that is something you will not get in a big school. 

Lastly, I just lost a bunch of brain cells responding to this ridiculous post.

 

Me too, Hippy, me too!!  And also, I went to a large high school and a small high school.  Large one couldn't even compare to preparing me for life like the small one.

[thetragichippy]

Me too, Hippy, me too!!  And also, I went to a large high school and a small high school.  Large one couldn't even compare to preparing me for life like the small one.

My Son moved last year to a small school and we absolutely love it. I still live in a "neighborhood", but by next year I hope to have a few acres in the woods or on the river....Goal =  to be able to shoot my gun off my back porch

[WOSgrad]

I guess my response will take the form of a question.  If consolidation of several smaller schools is the answer, why are some big school districts (i.e. Katy, Cy-Fair, Humble) building new schools at a maddening pace in an effort to reduce the size of schools and why are others (see Houston ISD) fighting school closure and consolidation efforts?

[RETIREDFAN1]

Do I post a lot of topics?..for you to say that most are a waste of time?  I make comments sure...

I think you're just upset because Colmesneil was my new HD for a couple weeks.

Shows your ignorance there.......don't draw conclusions from a screen name, slick.........

[oldschool2]

Shows your ignorance there.......don't draw conclusions from a screen name, slick.........

Really?  Did I say you were the one that posted the delusional stuff about Colmesneil having all of those speedsters?  Because I don't think I did.

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

I started off HS at a 4a school, graduated from a 2a school, attending the 2a school was the best decision I ever made before turning 18, wish I had went there all 4 yrs instead of 2 yrs. I turned out quite alright. 

[PlayActionPass]

There are arguments for and against Consolidation. All are valid. However, the one thing that will never be questioned is that the desire to be successful (motivation) and hard work (discipline) are the two most important characteristics to any successful person. This is where our students of today are failing miserably. And it is happening at big schools and small school alike. Parents need to be teaching these two core beliefs, in addition to respect for authority, and it would not matter if a kid went to a big school or a small school, they would be prepared for success.  

[oldschool2]

This is all very typical of the response I expected.  To say I know nothing about rural communities it ignorant.  To say I want all schools to be large schools is ignorant.  I said at least 500.  Um..that's still a small school.  But enough kids to make earning things a little more appreciated and better understood.  But there are some schools very close to this coverage area that have no reason at all to be open.  For instance..no reason High Island shouldn't be going to EC or Galveston.  Chester? really.. isn't that place like 4 miles from Colmesneil...who is in turn right down the read from Woodville.  Spurger...  And there are hundreds more schools just like that.

[Hagar]

Thread reminds me of a dog chasing his tail.  You can argue for or against forever, depending on what you define as important.  I went to a "big" school and my Grandkids attend Evadale.  Just from my limited perspective, the small school wins hands down via opportunities to participate, better teacher/student ratio, and discipline (easier to keep 150 in line than 4000).  

I do know that when awards are passed out in Evadale, probably 90% have participated in some UIL activity.  Doubt you'll find that at big schools. And most of the athletes wouldn't play at bigger schools, but the point is, they do get to play.  Can't imagine the number of kids at Deer Park, with their 4700 kids, who'd like to play football, volleyball, etc, but can't cause they aren't big, or fast enough.  

Like you said OS2, opinions.  Mine is based on other things than just money.  

[PlayActionPass]

Dude, this is not a winnable argument. Those people that are entrenched in those communities like it the way it is. No matter what you say, you can not convince them that their way of life is not the best way. Just accept it and move on. 

And who is to say they are wrong? Definitely not you, or me, or anybody else.

[RETIREDFAN1]

 

Really?  Did I say you were the one that posted the delusional stuff about Colmesneil having all of those speedsters?  Because I don't think I did.

 

 

Irrelevant to the fact of your ignorance and your making assumptions based on a screen name.....Your words, "I think you're just upset because Colmesneil was my new HD for a couple weeks"....again, it shows your ignorance.......

Edited September 17, 2015 by Colmesneilfan1

[Javelina]

If 500 was cutoff then 21 4A schools in he state would need to be consolidated.

there are 19 schools in SETX region that would need to consolidate. 

Kirbyville 397 + Spurger 103 = Spurgyville HS =500    4A D2

Brookland 127 + Burkeville 91 + Newton 296 = North Newton County HS = 514  4A D2

Buna 412 + Evadale 137 = South Jasper County HS = 549  4A D2

H-D 186 + Hardin 340 + West Hardin = Hardin-Liberty County HS = 684  4A D2

Anahuac 334 + East Chambers 384 + High Island 54 = Chambers County HS = 772  4A D1

Woodville 347 + Warren 371 + Colmesneil 133 + Chester 55 = Tyler County HS = 906  4A D1

Kountze 351 + Silsbee 782 = Hardin County HS = 1133   5A

Deweyville 232 + LCM 1056 = LC-M-D HS = 1288  5A

Sabine Pass 135 + Port Arthur Memorial 2110 = Port Arthur Memorial HS = 2245  6A

 

Edited September 17, 2015 by Javelina

[oldschool2]

This is really making me laugh.  You guys are making it sound like I want every school to be a big school.  Like 1000-4000 kids.  I never said that, nor meant/applied that.  I SAID 500 minimum.  The difference in 150 and 500 would be astronomical.  Literally the difference in exerting a little bit more effort to remain in the top 10..or having to worry about maybe losing your starting spot.  I don't understand what would be wrong with that.  I guess it doesn't matter.  

MY OPINION is that small schools (very small schools) ruin kids chances of learning to be competitive.  In every aspect of life.

[thetragichippy]

This is really making me laugh.  You guys are making it sound like I want every school to be a big school.  Like 1000-4000 kids.  I never said that, nor meant/applied that.  I SAID 500 minimum.  The difference in 150 and 500 would be astronomical.  Literally the difference in exerting a little bit more effort to remain in the top 10..or having to worry about maybe losing your starting spot.  I don't understand what would be wrong with that.  I guess it doesn't matter.  

MY OPINION is that small schools (very small schools) ruin kids chances of learning to be competitive.  In every aspect of life.

It appears most don't agree with your opinion. 

[Yoe_09]

This is really making me laugh.  You guys are making it sound like I want every school to be a big school.  Like 1000-4000 kids.  I never said that, nor meant/applied that.  I SAID 500 minimum.  The difference in 150 and 500 would be astronomical.  Literally the difference in exerting a little bit more effort to remain in the top 10..or having to worry about maybe losing your starting spot.  I don't understand what would be wrong with that.  I guess it doesn't matter.  

MY OPINION is that small schools (very small schools) ruin kids chances of learning to be competitive.  In every aspect of life.

 

150 kids....graduating class....approx. 40.  top 10 percent=4

500 kids....graduating class....approx. 125.  top 10 percent=12.5

This is the reason they do top 10 PERCENT.  I can tell you right now, if you combined a whole bunch of schools with similar sizes to these......they are going to end up in around the same percentile.   Top 10 percent is going to remain, for the most part, the same.  Same can be said in the top quarter, etc..

Edited September 17, 2015 by Yoe_09

[AggiesAreWe]

This is really making me laugh.  You guys are making it sound like I want every school to be a big school.  Like 1000-4000 kids.  I never said that, nor meant/applied that.  I SAID 500 minimum.  The difference in 150 and 500 would be astronomical.  Literally the difference in exerting a little bit more effort to remain in the top 10..or having to worry about maybe losing your starting spot.  I don't understand what would be wrong with that.  I guess it doesn't matter.  

MY OPINION is that small schools (very small schools) ruin kids chances of learning to be competitive.  In every aspect of life.

It is a pretty funny topic. Hope it was meant as a joke because it is a joke.

[oldschool2]

 

150 kids....graduating class....approx. 40.  top 10 percent=4

500 kids....graduating class....approx. 125.  top 10 percent=12.5

This is the reason they do top 10 PERCENT.  I can tell you right now, if you combined a whole bunch of schools with similar sizes to these......they are going to end up in around the same percentile.   Top 10 percent is going to remain, for the most part, the same.  Same can be said in the top quarter, etc..

I know how it works. Thanks.  And it may be the same percentage..but it's not the same.  Especially if you're referring to valedictorian and salutatorian.

And what about sports?

150 kids....graduating class....approx. 40.  football starters-11, basketball starters-5, volleyball-6, baseball/softball-9

500 kids....graduating class....approx 125.   football starters-11, basketball starters-5, volleyball-6, baseball/softball-9

[oldschool2]

It appears most don't agree with your opinion. 

They never do.  The truth bothers most people.  Especially now a days....the generation of people who get offended by literally everything.

[WOSgrad]

I know how it works. Thanks.  And it may be the same percentage..but it's not the same.  Especially if you're referring to valedictorian and salutatorian.

And what about sports?

150 kids....graduating class....approx. 40.  football starters-11, basketball starters-5, volleyball-6, baseball/softball-9

500 kids....graduating class....approx 125.   football starters-11, basketball starters-5, volleyball-6, baseball/softball-9

The UIL has recognized that.  That is why it have split schools into 6 classifications and essentially 12 for football.

[oldschool2]

The UIL has recognized that.  That is why it have split schools into 6 classifications and essentially 12 for football.

Well I know that.  But tell me this..  Is it more difficult for a kid to earn and keep a spot on a 12 man football team at WOS...(or any school in that district) or at Colmesneil (or any school in that district)?

That's the only point I'm trying to make.  A "good" player at Colmesneil will never know what it's like to maybe lose your spot.  Probably even if it means acting up in class, missing practice, having a bad practice, or having a bad game.  A kid at a school with more kids has to compete just about every day.

Am I wrong?

[WOSgrad]

Also, the valedictorian of every accredited school in the State of Texas receives a State of Texas Valedictorian grant for tuition of their first two semesters of college, regardless of the size of that school.

[WOSgrad]

Well I know that.  But tell me this..  Is it more difficult for a kid to earn and keep a spot on a 12 man football team at WOS...(or any school in that district) or at Colmesneil (or any school in that district)?

That's the only point I'm trying to make.  A "good" player at Colmesneil will never know what it's like to maybe lose your spot.  Probably even if it means acting up in class, missing practice, having a bad practice, or having a bad game.  A kid at a school with more kids has to compete just about every day.

Am I wrong?

I can see your premise,  Someone at a larger school may have more competitors for a position on a team than at a smaller school.  However, I am not willing to take the leap that it causes an athlete at a smaller school not to have to compete as hard.

[Yoe_09]

I understand your point.  You believe that kids will have to work harder to try to keep at spot with more kids....makes sense.   But if you have a good coach and a desire to win.....the kids are going to work hard to be successful.  Most are not going to to just slack off if they have a strong desire to win.  Once again, this goes back to desire and dedication.  

Edited September 17, 2015 by Yoe_09