Bay group produces video to support building plan

The Journal staff

Whitefish Bay A citizens group has produced a 15-minute video that seeks to persuade voters to approve a request by the Whitefish Bay School District to spend $4.9 million to renovate and enlarge its middle school.

The group, Advocates for Education, plans to use the video, "Continuing the Tradition," at coffees and other gatherings. Residents will vote on the referendum question April 4.

The video shows several examples of why supporters say an addition is needed, such as students passing each other in crowded hallways and doing experiments in a science lab using plastic soda bottles and coffee cans as sinks.

In addition, the video points out that under the current building layout, the office is on the second floor, making it relatively easy for a stranger to enter.

The school has 24 classrooms for 36 teachers, so 12 teachers have to carry their class materials on carts from room to room.

If the request passes, 13 classrooms would be added and the main hallways widened by 2 feet. The library, media center and cafeteria would be enlarged and relocated.

Voters last May overwhelmingly defeated a similar request. Afterward, School Board President Dale Jaffe suggested that the public might have been asking the district to make better use of existing facilities, such as the high school and possibly Lydell School.

It tried to do that last year, but found problems with those alternatives.

To request a showing of the video, contact Advocates co- presidents Linda Olsheska at 332-9103 or Meredith Scrivner at 332-1377.

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