This article was sent to UGOTNERVE today. Bagby, the SOLE African-American on Henrico’s School Board, has “come out the bag” again with ANOTHER one of his comments to the newspaper. He had the NERVE to say:
“Everyone understands that we are duly charged with maintaining educational facilities. But we also are charged with the whole child and that includes athletic facilities,”
OK, Mr. Bagby, so it is clear that the charge that you speak of only applies to the West End where “the whole child” is the focus, and providing the “comforts” for that child are your priority.
The way we see it, OUR East End children, you know, the ones that you have been elected to represent? You are duly charged to educate them on a wholistic level as well. For them, it is NOT about such superficial thing as “athletic facilities.”
You and the rest of the confused board members are “duly charged” to provide our children with:
HOT WATER TO WASH THEIR HANDS PROPERLY
HOT WATER TO SANITIZE DISHES PROPERLY
CLEAN AND OPERATING TOILETS
CAFETERIAS THAT ARE SAFE FOR WORKERS
CLASSROOMS WITH HEAT AND AIR CONDITIONING
MORE CLASSROOMS TO REDUCE OVERCROWDING
TEXTBOOKS FOR EACH TEACHER AND STUDENT
PAPER FOR TEACHERS
OUR CHILDREN NEED IN-SCHOOL MENTOR PROGRAMS
OUR CHILDREN NEED A FULL-YEAR READING PROGRAM
OUR CHILDREN NEED A FULL-YEAR MATH PROGRAM
And on…and on….and on….
The Community Council for Education is going to speak with our legal eagles in order to organize a suit against Henrico County based on an age old legal mandate….remember Brown v. Board of Education…that whole “separate, but equal” requirement. Well, Henrico’s school board repeatedly neglects the basic needs of East End children and families. While it is not totally their fault due to the fact that the East End families have not advocated for what they need, but then again, when we elect individuals to represent us, one would think that they would do it. Not the case in Henrico Public Schools. Looks like another Office of Civil Rights complaint is brewing from the over thirty families that are “sick and tired of being sick and tired”.
Bagby’s words are unreal. To make matters worse, he is a member of the NAACP. So much for advancing colored people when you plan a “field house” before you plan a safe “school house”. He is on our list to remove as well. Our children deserve better and we do NOT have time to play.
Fred Morton, as the superintendent, is REQUIRED to ensure that school facilities are maintained properly to ensure safe, clean, and legal facilities for our children. The fact that we even have to discuss this issue speaks to the character, priorities, and heart of the previous and present school board members.
Henrico School Board MUST have a three-year plan in place in order to bring the East End’s facilities and quality of education up to the level of the West End in order to provide EQUITY in educational opportunities for ALL children. If not, then we will see them in court.
How can this board, especially Bagby, even THINK about giving “EXTRA” to some children (mostly white and upper class), when other children do not have the “BASICS”?????????
While McBride took a stand, she did not actually vote AGAINST the budgetary action. While we are not pleased with her weak stance, we are pleased that at least she spoke out against it…which is what the others should have done, especially Bagby.
WE CAN NO LONGER PERMIT THIS IRRESPONSIBLE, HEARTLESS, AND UNCARING BOARD CONTINUE TO NEGLECT AND ABUSE OUR CHILDREN.
How are they different from child abusers?
Read for yourself:
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Athletes at two Henrico County high schools can look forward to state-of-the art field houses.
In the meantime, the School Board will have to figure out how much of the projects to build now and how to fully pay for them.
The board voted last evening to go forward with design plans for building a new field house at Deep Run and renovations and an addition to the existing one at J.R. Tucker.
“Everyone understands that we are duly charged with maintaining educational facilities. But we also are charged with the whole child and that includes athletic facilities,” said Lamont Bagby, Fairfield District representative on the board.
The initial funds for the projects were approved in a previous Capital Improvement Program budget.
While the board awaits the design plans for the field houses, it will have to determine funding sources and decide whether to build the facilities in one or two phases. Last night’s vote gave the go-ahead for architects to create plans for the basic and expanded facilities.
“We take seriously our duty of appropriately spending taxpayer dollars and believe the investment in these field houses, and therefore our students, is wise and prudent,” said board Chairwoman Diana Winston.
Linda McBride, Brookland District representative, abstained from voting. She said she supports the Phase 1 options but will not vote to pay for design of the second phases.
“To design facilities that we have no money to build is very difficult for me to support,” she said. McBride said any lottery funds the district may receive should go toward additional classrooms for overcrowded schools before expanding athletic facilities.
Architectural design plans for the possible second phases of the field houses would add about $81,400 for Deep Run and $52,817 for Tucker.
Deep Run High opened in 2002 but has never had a field house. The first design option would create a new 9,100-square-foot facility. Phase 2 would add 3,300 square feet.
For the Deep Run project, $2,268,283 already has been allocated. The School Board would need to add approximately $447,949 for Phase 1 or $1,326,585 to build both phases.
Deferring the second phase of the project for six years is estimated to cost an additional $1,225,000.
J.R. Tucker’s field house is out of date and has flooding issues. The first design option includes renovating existing facilities and adding a fitness center to bring the space to 9,030 square feet. Adding the second phase would total 12,030 square feet.
For that project, $1,560,103 has been allocated. An additional $456,356 would be needed to build Phase 1; building both phases would require an additional $1,136,270.
