Editorial: Help district with facilities feedback

• District 518

District 518

Talk about it

It’s no secret that District 518’s enrollment has experienced significant growth over the past few years.

Just four years ago, as John Landgaard, the district’s superintendent, noted in a column published in Saturday’s Daily Globe, the enrollment in Worthington’s public schools was 2,165. This year, the district is at 2,600 students; a total of 2,844 is projected in the year 2015-2016.

Other districts around the region would no doubt love to be experiencing District 518’s increases. Its growth, though, will almost certainly necessitate conversation about space issues within existing school buildings, not to mention other aspects of its educational offerings.

Landgaard indicated in his column that a facility and grounds committee will meet soon “to begin identifying the overall needs of the facilities as well as the grounds areas.” The district will seek feedback from the public on addressing these matters, and is also seeking interested parties to serve on the committee.

We think it’s critical for the district to hear as many voices as possible on how it should address its needs. As we have noted time and again, a quality school district is vital to the success of its community. Whether it’s voters supporting a new operating referendum (2007) or the construction of Prairie Elementary in 2000, District 518 has benefited from plenty of people who realize that very point.

Of course, new building projects and referendums can prove to be controversial. That’s one more reason for folks to stand up and express their viewpoints this time around. But what’s happened in the past should be irrelevant by this standpoint. The concern now should be the best changes for the future, not what may have — or not have — taken place years ago.

To grow the right way, District 518 wants your input. We urge folks to step forward, in the interest of not just their school system but their community as a whole.

Tags: district 518, opinion, educationworthington, education