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June 10, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels December 10, 2003 Location of schools must be taken into consideration By Brent Thompson Ashland While we try to make decisions based on costs as best as we can determine, often we can't know the true costs. Then we must use instincts or rely on our values as we factor in the community as a whole. That for many is not easy. Such is the case with not closing centrally located schools. We must look at the value of school aged children being able to both walk to school and to locations on school outings. So far this school year I am aware of classes at Lincoln School walking to North Mountain Park, the Fire Station, and the Darex Ice Skating Rink. This experience of being able to walk to places of importance is part of what Marcy Behringer the co-owner of Montessori School calls psychological mapping (if I heard it right). The opportunity for children to be able to experience the community as they walk to things and then map them out in their heads strengthens their sense of community. It strengthens their feeling of place and home. No monetary value can be attached to this value, but it likely trumps some other factors in importance which we think we can attach a monetary value to. I do know it is far easier to arrange field trips when the mode of transportation is by foot and not by car. What other school besides Lincoln offers as many opportunities to easily walk to places such as Lithia Park, the Fire Station, SOU Concert Hall, Darex Ice Skating Rink, the Public Library, Ashland City Hall, the Science Museum, the High School, North Mountain Park, the "Water Park," the Shakespeare Festival, and the downtown area? Having to arrange car pools or buses from peripheral schools for all these potential outings in our community probably means that many potential field trips just won't be planned. Not only should we look at how many children live in each school's are, but we should also look at how many would have the opportunity of walking from their homes to the various schools. And once in school how many will have the opportunity to experience "community" by walking to places of importance in our community? Only a centrally located school can offer as many opportunities. If we want to teach he "value" of sprawl, we'll close another centrally located school. If we want to teach the value of community and the conservation values of a compact urban form, we'll keep the centrally located school open. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams