Stewardship

I finally got around to reading Enclave's blog entries here and here regarding Jones Paideia. I should have been paying attention. It's hard to believe that the timeline wasn't arranged. It's hard to believe that in the 30 years or so since they closed Litton High in Inglewood the school board has, apparently, learned nothing about stewardship of community resources.

Here's what S-town Mike wrote:

As I told you, the destruction done by closing these schools also rips like shrapnel across the fabric of urban neighborhoods. The closure of neighborhood schools represents the closure of neighborhood centers and the closure of the familial dimensions of those neighborhoods.

Inglewood knows what that ripping is like. We're still suffering from it decades later. Once again Litton is on the chopping block. The Litton Alumni Association is doing what it can to rally support but it's an uphill fight. Our own school board representative has her children at Jones. If it comes down to Jones or Litton--which will she vote for?

The photo here is one I took of the Litton Gym on Wednesday. The inside is disgusting, to say the least. Metro has not taken care of the physical building all these years. windows have been open for years and the aviarial mess is...well, you can imagine. Every day the building will be harder to rehab. Metro has not very cooperative with those that do want to utilize and care for it.

Right behind this remnant of the old Litton gym is the newer Litton Middle School. If that closes, I've no hope that the MNPS will be a better steward of that property than it has been to the pictured gymnasium. Acres of wasted land left to rot in the middle of Inglewood along our main street. Surely we don't need to replicate this situation in Salemtown.

I understand we've only got so much money. If they need to be closed...let's make sure they are passed on to organizations and businesses that will be good stewards of the property and will enhance the neighborhoods. Metro is a lousy absentee landlord.