My school's roof leaks, the ceiling is falling apart, the tiles on the floor are ancient and show it. Even the parking lot's potholes are in dire need of help. Andover High School has hundred of things to be improved, torn down or reinstalled. Yet students still complain, instead of fixing the roof, we have new benches and pebble covered garbage cans that belong in a park. Students have no idea a committee working has been established to solve these problems. I know because I am one of three students from the school district sitting on the Bloomfield Hills Facilities Committee. .
Due to Proposal A, Bloomfield Hills Schools have lost substantial funding. Previously we had been one of the wealthiest districts in the country. Proposal A hit hard. Teachers have received pink slips, lost preparatory time and have had class sizes increased. Discussions of several solutions have focused on the high schools. Should there be one huge high school? Two high schools on one campus? Or should we leave two separate high schools on separate campuses? Although there are pros and cons to each of the three choices, I believe, there should be two separate high schools on separate campuses. .
Both high schools, Andover and Lahser, are different and respected. Lahser is known for their science department, sports teams and overall student body. At Andover, we pride ourselves on our great drama department, diverse extracurricular activities and outstanding academics. Plus, there is the annual Andover vs. Lahser rivalry football game; with the winner proudly displays the trophy, a sword, until the opposing school wins it back. While the differences between the two schools may be insignificant to an outsider, for the students, they are substantial. .
We are able to market our school to surrounding students as a tuition-based high school. Should we become massive, like many of the premier public schools in this area, we lose the ability to sell our smallness.
