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| SAVE TRENTON HIGH COALITION |
| · A renovated Trenton High will be a state of the art learning facility for all of Trenton’s 3000 high school students, not just the lucky 1300 students assigned to the new building
· According to the SDA’s own numbers, renovation is less expensive than new construction · Designs for the complete renovation are finished and have been approved. The SDA has said they will only fund projects with completed designs · Restoring this Trenton Landmark that was built for the ages complements the city’s goal of promoting its history as a foundation for revitalization |
| When will the BOE and the SDA ever learn that building one school on the site of Trenton Central High School will fail the students? On June 23, 2008 the BOE hastily removed a resolution from that evening's agenda to pursue a plan that would construct one school on the site of Trenton High to accommodate only 1300 high school students. No mention is made as to where the unlucky kids who don’t get assigned to the new building will go. Meanwhile, this Landmark building will meet the wrecking ball. To date, the SDA has not produced any budgets, any timelines, or any reason why a new school makes more sense than renovation. Why not? Because they can’t. Here’s why: |
| Renovating Trenton High Is The Only Solution That Is Practical, Lasting and Fair For All Students |
| BACKGROUND Starting in October 2007, the Trenton Board of Education (BOE) and the Schools Development Authority (SDA) began abandoning the plan to renovate the landmark Trenton Central High School in favor of constructing a new school on the same site. Since that time, despite repeated requests from the Save Trenton High Coalition, Trenton City Council and public citizens, the BOE and the SDA have not produced any written cost estimates, any schedules, or any designs, concepts or ideas for the new high school. Lack of clarity and general confusion have been swirling around the Trenton Central High School project for years, especially regarding who is ultimately in charge of making the final decision for Trenton High. At various times, the BOE, the SDA and the State Department of Education (DOE) have pointed the finger at each other. None of these entities want to be held accountable for demolishing this landmark building. The Save Trenton High Coalition is advocating that all stakeholders in the city participate in an open decision-making process. Given the money allocated, a cost analysis and feasibility study should be undertaken to determine the most cost-effective and feasible alternative that will benefit the most high school students in a modern educational facility. |
| · The SDA’s goal is to create a facility that is “expected to last for more than one generation.” The result will be a cheap, disposable building that will quickly deteriorate and be torn down in 25 years. A renovated Trenton High could last another 75 years
· No one has offered designs, concepts, or any ideas for what the new school will look like · Changing plans means Trenton goes to the back of the line for state funding and we watch the pot of money dry up · A new school would serve only 1300 high school students. The rest will still be dispersed throughout the city at other old schools in varying states of disrepair. Who will decide which students get to go the new high school? |
| Building a New School Will Fail The Students |
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| RENOVATE TRENTON HIGH SCHOOL NOW! |
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| Renovate Trenton Central High School Now! |
| When Will They Ever Learn? |
| The Trenton Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution to build "a new modern high school" and, at the same time, study "to the extent practical and feasible, the incorporation of iconic elements of the current facility." Read the entire resolution (pdf) The analysis of these two seemingly contradictory statements into a coherent feasibility study now rests with the Schools Development Authority (SDA). In advance of the vote, the Coalition advised the Board on the steps that should be taken by the SDA to ensure that all alternatives are examined prior to making a decision regarding the fate of Trenton High. Read the Coalition's letter to the Board (pdf) The Coalition will continue to post updates as they become available. |
| JULY 28, 2008 |