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Kam Taylor didn’t mince words.
“I could see why people may not like the idea,” Taylor said of those who oppose construction of a new consolidated Wilkes-Barre Area high school.
“High school is supposed to be the best time of your life and some people are very loyal to their schools. But I mean, honestly, I think there are a lot of good reasons a new school should be built,” Taylor said.
“The people that don’t want it to be built, that’s their ego.”
Taylor isn’t a politician or activist, nor a business manager or engineer. He’s a high school football quarterback for the Wilkes-Barre Area Wolfpack.
In Sunday’s column by Times Leader sportswriter Paul Sokoloski, Taylor shared his thoughts about the ongoing controversy related to construction of a new, unified high school in Plains Township.
While his views may not carry the weight or experience of those tasked with making decisions about the district’s future, they certainly speak to the experience of someone who has already experienced consolidation first hand.
While the buildings may remain separate for a little while longer, the district’s sports teams now play under one, unified name — the Wolfpack. It was certainly an emotional process, not least for the current generation of student athletes.
As Sokoloski explained, Taylor started at GAR last year. Talee Swinney started at Meyers.
This year, they were asked to share quarterback duties. It could have been a disaster. But it wasn’t.
“I wouldn’t say it was difficult,” Swinney said of splitting the team’s quarterback duties with Taylor. “It was definitely different.”
Added Taylor: “You know, I’ve always wanted to see what all three schools could do together. There hasn’t really been any fighting. It’s been really fun.”
We know football is only one part of the high school athletic experience, and that athletics are only one component of the overall educational experience.
Still, there is much for be said for the grace and class with which these talented young players have handled the transition.
Could there be a lesson there for the community?
Their remarks come less than a week after a general election in in which district voters went to the polls with the opportunity to elect a slate of anti-consolidation candidates.
Two of those candidates, Beth Anne Owens-Harris and Terry Schiowitz, were successful in their bid for seats on the school board. While they may not have a majority, they do now have a powerful platform to express their views.
But do they and other opponents of the construction of the new $121 million high school have the power to stop the project in its tracks?
The answer, increasingly, appears to be no.
The day after the election, Times Leader reporter Mark Guydish was among those to tour the construction site with Superintendent Brian Costello, freshly reelected board member Shawn Walker and other officials.
Athletic rooms are already walled and roofed. Beams for the gym roof are going into position. There are hopes to complete at least two classroom wings by winter so work can continue inside.
As Guydish wrote: “Critics have repeatedly questioned the projected cost savings of consolidation and accused the district of picking a former mining site that, according to tests, has some elevated levels of elements deemed hazardous in the soil. District officials have insisted the site will be safe because the project is meeting or exceeding all requirements of government regulatory agencies.”
The project manager earlier this year said he was “99.9 percent sure there is no coal ash under the building site,” explaining that deep excavations found none.
Arguing whether consolidation makes financial sense is a dead letter. It is on the shoulders of district officials to ensure it is ultimately completed and operated in a the most cost-efficient means possible, and simply scrapping the project doesn’t seem to be a responsible response now.
With available evidence and documentation showing that the project meets safety requirements, stopping the project on health grounds doesn’t seem realistic, either.
Those committed to its reversal should consider turning their energies to helping ensure the project move forward in ways that are best for all concerned: Students, staff and taxpayers.
— Times Leader