If that's the case, then I'm wondering why we're inviting these "students" into our neighborhoods. For what other purpose are Ferndale voters willing to invite criminals into our neighborhoods but to balance our school budget? For what other reasons would we lay such a burden on our neighbors that live near these facilities but to fund a school district with fewer than 2000 of its own students and the highest paid superintendent in the county and 2nd lowest-paid teachers?

I cannot agree more with you and Tom. I feel terrible for the people living around that school.

I suspect both schools would have closed already, or be much different, if adult resided at Roosevelt, at the border of Pleasant Ridge and Ferndale, than closer to Eight Mile. Or perhaps if the district's administrative offices were in either school rather than Harding.

As long as the costs of their financial plan are born by residents other than their immediate neighbors, I suspect no changes will occur.

Then again, maybe the stories we read and hear about really aren't that worrisome, and the residents are comfortable or feel even safer with those schools nearby than without them, and perhaps their property values are stabilized or even buoyed by them, because they don't protest nearly as much as I expect them to, or would myself if they were near my home.

I tend to think they don't protest because they feel nothing will ever change with the current Board and Superintendent. That's the feel I've gotten, anyways.

It was clear from the moment that they remodeled Harding that they had every intention of converting it into offices for the administration. No doubt Harding needed the renovations, but it seems like a total waste of money to just use them as administrative offices. As I recall, Harding at one point housed Alternative Education. Is it possible that was canned because the admins didn't want to be near the Alt. Ed students? If that's the case, they should probably empathize more with the residents.

As a Moderate, I disagree that it comes down to a Liberal/Conservative school board. In this case, I just feel that the board was dead-set on having new offices at Harding come hell or high water.

Keith, fair enough. But what does the board intend to do about the crime? The board requires background checks of its staff, how about its adult students?

And you didn't address the big question--how much will the district ask residents to bare? If it filled with great students, would you bring them to Roosevelt or Harding, or move administration to the DLC?

I'm sure there's more heart-warming stories like the one you told above, but that ignores (or distracts) from the problem and the apparent fact the district seems uninterested in addressing it.

Responses like the one above suggest board members are deaf to resident concerns and resident safety.

Of course, your response also reminded me of Charles Durning singing "Dance a Little Side-step."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJG75FJkjr8

I can't believe what I'm reading. You have the power to weigh the hearts of the majority of the students there? Impressive. You visited the school? Bravo! Now come sit on my porch and get screamed at and threatened by dlc students speeding down my street on the wrong side of the road. See the litter thrown everywhere. Watch the cop cars block my driveway twice a week (which they are welcome to do, God bless them, but they shouldn't have to). You propose no solutions, just rhapsodies about all the sweet kids there while my neighborhood sinks into gang violence to line the district's pockets.

Rhapsodise, rather.

This is a perfect example of why people are fed up with the current board. Instead of addressing this very troubling issue as to why you are allowing gang members into our community and schools, you proclaim that everything is fine because YOU visited the school one time. I personally know two people that work there and they will tell you that it is anything BUT fine. There are students there that are wearing tethers, there are gang members, there are NUMEROUS students that have no interest in learning and are only there because they are being forced to go.

Until FPS does a better job of screening the students and keeping out the thugs, gang members, etc., then the school needs to be shut down and, unfortunately, the students that YOU claim are there because they really want to learn (even though nobody else has been able to figure out who those students are) will have to go elsewhere. The board and the administration made this mess and need to fix it NOW. No longer will we sit still for your ridiculous claims that this school is benefiting our district in any way but financially. Close it down immediately.

spot on. you nailed that one.

Tired, corruption is a heavy accusation. Our board members may be many things, but I don't believe any are corrupt.