What Might Have Been; What Still Could Be...

A look at the "draft" version of the page which resulted in newschoolproject.info gives us a sense of what the possibilities of such a page might have been.

Though we concede that we're looking at a draft, even perhaps a "rough" draft, it does sketch out the tremendous amount of information such a page could put into the hands of the public. There's potential there, with a lot more work and a lot more openness.

Comparing the draft with what was actually presented, we haven't got a lot to go on, except for what the intended and actual links might signify. Let's look at them:

Links on the "draft"” page

Links on newschoolproject.info

General Information on the new school project History of the new school project from 1990 to the present Why the Fern Road land was chosen How the new school will be financed What will become of the current schools? Information specific to the Fern Road site Land acquisition Transportation Educational Programs Sports Fields Other Links: Architect's Drawings Voting Timeline Construction Timeline Meeting Calendar Project Updates Public Input Opportunities Public Input Committee News Contact Us Power Point Presentation PDF files

Project Timeline New School Project Meeting Calendar Newsletter Please Contact Us Added 9/13: SAD #46 School Board Committee Meetings New School Project Committee Members

Certainly we can say that the draft was ambitious, high-minded (because it was public-minded), and forthcoming. Too bad the "real" page didn't turn out closer to the draft!

"What Still Could Be"? Yes, the page could be changed, could contain a lot more information, and could truly be worth watching. But that change will need to happen soon, if indeed the District sincerely wants to bring the public into the process.