New HS Stadium Proposal

[Educaion_First]

The Allen ISD is going to propose a bond approval in early 2009 to approve $65M to build a new High School stadium. Stop the madness now and vote against the proposal for a new stadium. The current standard of education my child is receiving at Allen HS is abysmal (being told to submit "anything as long as it has your name on it" for a homework - to get a completion grade. The school is FULL of drugs and violence and the teachers are apathetic. Please vote NO to tell the board to use this $65M for education /safety instead. Our kids depend on us to make the right decision on things like this - please.

[hereinAllen]

The school is NOT full of drugs and apathetic teachers. Your opinion reaks of prejudice and clearly your inability to spell spills over into your ability to comprehend the actual reality of yes, a very large campus but one that is managed quite well. I would surmise if your student is told to turn "anything in" it would be because he or she does not take the initiative to responsibly turn in their work as outlined in the course by the teacher on a routine basis. What has a stadium got to do for Education First anyway. It would be a reward for those who practice and work daily to maintain grades to be a participant in bands and other extracurricular activities which in addition to their courses helps them be successful in their future endeavors.

[Educaion_First]

hereinAllen wrote:

The school is NOT full of drugs and apathetic teachers. Your opinion reaks of prejudice and clearly your inability to spell spills over into your ability to comprehend the actual reality of yes, a very large campus but one that is managed quite well. I would surmise if your student is told to turn "anything in" it would be because he or she does not take the initiative to responsibly turn in their work as outlined in the course by the teacher on a routine basis. What has a stadium got to do for Education First anyway. It would be a reward for those who practice and work daily to maintain grades to be a participant in bands and other extracurricular activities which in addition to their courses helps them be successful in their future endeavors.

It is sad someone has to use personal jabs to respond to a topic that really needs to be debated. I do not have an inability to comprehend - I am highly educated but not the world's best typist (incorrect assumption #1). The issue with a student being told to hand "anything" in is not "my" student (my student is a straight A student) but rather another student in the same class (incorrect assumption #2). I am not prejudice in any way shape or form - my family is multi-racial (incorrect assumption #3). So far you're not doing very well in assessing my intentions are you?
Allen High School IS full of drugs and if you think otherwise you are deluding yourself. Talk to the kids that attend and see what they say. The standard of education being received by the students is attrocious and the place is a disorganized mess.
I think it much better to spend the much needed funds on improving this situation rather than wasting millions of dollars on extra-curricular luxuries.

[Parent]

AISD is like a fish! Rotting from the head. There is little leadership from the board and the superintendent acts like a king running a fiefdom. I hope that there will soon be a change in both the board and the stuporintendant.

[Class Of 1984]

As a parent of a high school senior who does interact with my child and his friends. I feel comfortable saying that, Allen does have a drug problem, it is pretty evident you have a drug problem when they bring drug dogs into the school.

However I doubt is is any worse than any other school in America. I think Allen schools do a pretty good job. Could they do better? Sure they could, these are our children we are talking about and we should always want more for them.

As for the new stadium, I say NO! The football program is way over funded anyway.

Understanding that High School football is a way of life in Texas we also need to face the fact that, in the big picture High School Football has little bearing as to these childrens future.

Well that is my two cents worth.

[The Pokemon Master]

hereinAllen wrote:

The school is NOT full of drugs and apathetic teachers. Your opinion reaks of prejudice and clearly your inability to spell spills over into your ability to comprehend the actual reality of yes, a very large campus but one that is managed quite well. I would surmise if your student is told to turn "anything in" it would be because he or she does not take the initiative to responsibly turn in their work as outlined in the course by the teacher on a routine basis. What has a stadium got to do for Education First anyway. It would be a reward for those who practice and work daily to maintain grades to be a participant in bands and other extracurricular activities which in addition to their courses helps them be successful in their future endeavors.

Yes. Allen DOES NOT have violence or drugs. I'm a student and I know. For one thing, the teachers are helpful and kind and all the students get along.

[Parent]

That must be why there have been close to 30 fights at the high school so far this year? No violence here folks nothing to see just keep moving!!! P

[TheJudge]

It is very dissapointing when folks speak in absolutes and state things as facts when they in all actuality cannot know these things to be facts. The bond for the Stadium is not $65 million I know this because it is not set yet. Are you saying that a new stadium should not be built no matter how much it costs? If you answer is yes then stop with the BS hyperbole and just say it that way.

If you in fact know that all the teachers are apathetic great, but you don't because you don't know my wife. She get's paid crap money and still loves what she teaches and pretty much all of the students, even the slackers who by virtue of whatever bad situation they have been through have given up.

I wish people like you would spend time volunteering to help at the schools instead of whining on a message board.

Pathetic....

[Tax Payer]

As long as it doesn't impact my taxes, build it!. If I have to pay a cent more for the inflated school taxes, then make them suck it up and hike and punt it where they are. Texas stadium cost 1/4 the cost estimated in todays jacked up prices. Buy that arena in Irving before they bulldoze it and bus everyone, since the school board loves to BUS. Bet it wouldn't be 63 million. Then VRS and her bandits can have their own private boxes.

[2008 Allen Graduate]

The Pokemon Master wrote:

<quoted text>
Yes. Allen DOES NOT have violence or drugs. I'm a student and I know. For one thing, the teachers are helpful and kind and all the students get along.

I agree, Allen does not have many violent outbreaks considering the amount of students that attend.The fights that do break out are always quickly stopped by the security guards. However, I was a Senior last year, and I can say that AHS is FFFUUUULLLLL of drugs. Parents may not want to believe it, but it's true. That's not to say that all of the students do drugs...but I'd say almost half, if not more, do or have done drugs at one point during their high school career. I don't think this strictly pertains to AHS though. I'd be willing to bet that all high schools are this way at this day in age. Allen is a nice town on the outside, but once you're exposed to the underground activities, you may not feel the same way

[2008 Allen Graduate]

When it comes to the question of whether or not to build a new stadium...I think the answer is NO! We win state one year and are willing to spend all of our tax dollars on another new stadium, when one was just built not even ten years ago?!?! So much of the school's funding is already wasted on football. Just a few years ago, Allen bought several plasma TVs to put in the cafeteria for a football banquet. They are never used for anything but that. At the same time, I don't have any suggestions for what the funding should be used for. I definitely don't think the money should be spent on something stupid like more wireless microphones for the teachers to teach their class of 25 with. That idea was almost as stupid as the idea of building another new stadium.

[Class Of 1984]

TheJudge wrote:

Are you saying that a new stadium should not be built no matter how much it costs?

Yes....I do not agree with building an new stadium no matter the cost to taxpayers.

You make several valid points, and I do not disagree that teachers are underpaid for a job that is thankless and tough at times. That said, move some of the $$$$$ from the football program and put it toward REAL education.

Pay the good teachers what they are worth and let the bad teachers move on.

High school football is NOT education. The money could be better spent elsewhere.

[2008 graduate]

YES they should build a new stadium I don’t care I don't live in Allen anymore so its not going to affect my taxes. I think the money should also be used for education purposes too because every student is taught how to pass the TAKS test not how to succeed in college and in life like educators say they are doing. Someone also needs to put a stop to teachers passing athletes and club members so they can participate in whatever sport or activity they are in. I was a high school athlete and a band member all through my high school career and once I figured out, after my freshman and sophomore year, that if you are involved in any type of school activity the teachers will pass you no matter how much or how little effort you put into your school work. AHS is full of drugs. Everyone who says its not you are BLIND its time to wake up and smell the coffee. I bet over half of the students do drugs or have done drugs, but like other people have said drugs are in every high school. Is there violence yes but whatever the issue is it is handled very quickly by staff members.

[NTS]

People are delusional if they think drugs aren't in every school in America. You find some of the worst drug addicts in boarding prep schools.

[PlanoWIldcat]

i'd like to see allen's new stadium. the one they have is pretty pathetic, and when you take into account that they have an amazing team (this is coming from a Plano student) they definitely deserve one. and there is no school out there that is completely clean of drugs. we're fortunate enough to be in a better part of the north dallas suburbs.