“What has 11 floors, a 900-car parking deck, costs some $147 million, and on top of all that, a gun range?” If the blog title and the opening sentence does not raise your curiousity, then what will? Located in Atlanta, this very new (opens this month) high school has all the ammentities.
The title for this blog is from a recent blog in Education Week. The blog describes the school plant and features. You may aacess it at: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/rulesforengagement/2013/08/new_high_school_includes_on-campus_rifle_range.html
Once you have read into the article, you learn that the rifle range/shooting range is for the JROTC students in the school. You must admit though that it does catch your attention. For those of us who have experience with this activity for JROTC students, it is not really a new idea at all. It does, however, come at a time in our community and education culture circles that the mention of weapons puts parents and school staff on guard. This issue is addressed in the blog.
The real attention getters in the blog are in the physucal facilities described: 11 floors with designated elevators. Can you imagine some of the issues with the elevators and the necessary stairs that are also located in the facility? A parking deck for 900 cars for a school with nearly 1400 students? That raises lots of supervisory thoughts.
In all, it must be a grand facility for the students and staff at this Atlanta school. One wonders if testing scores will match the high rise structure? Hopefully so.
