By DR. LARRY MOSES
No one asked me but… Santa Claus did not come to Moapa Valley High School this year. The community went to bed with dreams of a new high school gym and woke up disappointed.
It reminded me of the year I asked Santa for a new bike and I woke up to underwear.
The gym would have alleviated many problems for the students and parents of Moapa Valley. When the District championed the 1998 bond issue, the major hook for the people of the valley was that they would build us a full-sized gym allowing for a graduation that did not restrict attendance. The gym would make it possible for our youngsters to have a place to practice and not have to be up all hours of the night. It was to be the reason we in the community would willingly pay an extra $20 of taxes per $100,000 value of our homes each year.
As we had always done, the Moapa Valley voters supported the district bond issue whole-heartedly. As the district has always done, once we supported their efforts, they ignored us.
Way back in 1988, the community was told that if we supported the 1988 bond issue, we would be rewarded with a new high school. As that bond issue was closing out, the high school had not appeared. When the community began to question what happened to the promised school, they were told there was not enough money left to meet the needs of the inner city schools and, therefore, there would be no high school built in the valley. But the Bond Oversight Committee had forgotten that Grant Bowler was still alive.
Grant Bowler and Gary Cameron very effectively went over the head of the Bond Oversight Committee and reminded the members of the School Board of their promise to the community. After a great deal of behind the scenes maneuvering and a passionate plea before the School Board, the Board made a unanimous decision to build Moapa Valley High School, making it the only school built by direct board action.
Unfortunately, there is now no one in valley with the political power of Mr. Bowler and, therefore, there is no one to hold the Board accountable.
When you broach the issue of a full size gym for Moapa Valley High School, you get vacant stares from members of the Board Oversight Committee. The Committee would have you believe that the gym was never really considered by the District.
Let me quote a number of District officials on the issue. In 2001, Dr. Patrick Herron, Assistant Superintendent Facilities Division, stated the process for the development of a 2800 seat gym to be built on the Moapa Valley High School Campus was in the mix.
In 2002, Dr. Herron stated; “One thing I am committed to before I leave is to make sure your gym expansion is considered…and will do my best to make sure it is considered in the most favorable light.”
In 2003, Fred Smith, who had replaced Dr. Herron, stated: “The gym addition will go to the board as part of revision 8 to the 1998 Capital Improvement Program.”
Ruby Alston, facilities department said: “the need for auxiliary gyms at the outlying schools was added to the 98 Capital Improvement Programs …your school is on that list.”
In 2008, Ruth Johnson, the Moapa Valley representative on the School Board, said at the MVHS graduation ceremonies, “I am so excited, and relieved, that this project is moving forward. Moving to this stage will guarantee that the new gym construction will be in the early part of the 2008 bond program.”
It was great to hear Paul Gerner talk about how important it was to treat rural school outside some of the in-town issues. Unfortunately, most of these individuals are gone as is the promise for a full size gym for Moapa Valley High School.
There seems to be a disbelief that we in this community could be so selfish as to expect a gym when there are so many other needs in the inner city. According to a press release from the District, they need $5.1 billion dollars over the next ten years to repair and modernize the existing school buildings. Press releases are full of stories of inner city schools with leaky roofs, ceiling tiles falling on students, and classrooms flooding as rainwater seeps into classrooms from clogged storm drains. There are schools whose heating and cooling systems cannot be regulated so the students are given popsicles during the hot months of Vegas.
With these basic needs, the District in 2010-2011, spent $33 million of capital improvement money on non-capital improvement items such as computers, printers, computer programs, musical instruments, books, and office supplies. Ten thousand dollars worth of athletic washing machines were purchased at one high school. An elementary school had a $4,600 trophy case built. A Facilities Financial Management P.O. showed over $12,000 worth of utility vehicles being purchased with capital improvement funds.
If the needs in the district are as dire as the District portrays, I can understand the failure to keep their promise of a gym for the students of Moapa Valley. We can survive and will continue to be the best comprehensive high school in Clark County in spite of District neglect.
However, one must wonder why the District could not find seven million dollars for a needed gym in the Moapa Valley when they were able to build seven auxiliary theaters for inner city high schools to the tune of over $50 million. It was not that these schools had no theaters; the operative word here is auxiliary. The District also found $72 million for transportation facilities.
In a phone conversation, a District financial official indicated that as of June 30, 2011, there was $530 million left in the 1998 bond fund. Apparently, between June 30 and December 19, the district spent or committed all but $100 million of those dollars. What is left will be needed to maintain the facilities presently in use.
We can only hope the Moapa Valley community will remember these un-kept promises next time the District comes asking for the approval of another bond issue.
Thought of the week…A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise.
–Niccolo Machiavelli
