Chaska Herald - New High School - Comments

With Chaska's population of

Djamshut — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 02:33:16 -0500

With Chaska's population of approximately 18,000 people, broken down into about 7,500 households, 70 percent currently take advantage of the mobile wireless service provided by Tropos Networks located in Sunnyvale, Calif. The entire process cost Chaska about $800,000, not including the additional yearly operation expenses ranging around $200,000 per year.

Wow! We are in the process

MRTGMT — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 13:02:31 -0600

Wow! We are in the process of selling our home and moving to D112. The entire basis is to ensure our children receive a great education. The writer who feels this district is terrible - have you looked at the facts. All the schools in D112 are rated extremely high with huge success rates of the students that attend schools in this district. Get your facts straight before making silly comments. Chaska - you have a great community and school district. Be proud of it. We can't wait to join you.

You really must have missed

chuckden — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 15:05:44 -0500

You really must have missed a lot of English classes.

Lance M Hillier, Sr Class

lancemhilliersr — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 22:46:40 -0500

Lance M Hillier, Sr Class of '72 CHS-Hawks

I don't know what has happened over the past 30 years, other than a few comments picked up second hand (new undercover cops in classrooms to control drugs, multi-million dollar pool for swimming team, etc.)

However, many of the same arguments I've been reading were the same ones when the new high school was built up on the hill, from the original facility I went through grades 7-8. We were the fortunate class that started grade nine in the new facility and graduated in '72. I see there have been many upgrades since.

My point is this: The more things change, the more they remain the same. The economic realities are such that inflation and a higher price increase has come about with the devaluation of the dollar. Today's 96 Million isn't much more in 2007 dollars than the upgrade bond passed in '67 for the new high school up on the hill.

Keep up the academic excellence CHS has been proud to serve (my HS education matched many of the 'private college' graduates I've crossed in my many years of business since).

God Bless and be well,
Moi

p.s. Is there going to be a 35th reunion?

I'm sure nobody is reading

Erik816 — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 04:44:10 -0500

I'm sure nobody is reading this anymore, but I'd just like to point out that the initial poster seems to think it is wasteful to spend money on "kids who can't even read or write." Although spending more money certainly does not guarantee good education, failure to spend can at the very least assure that kids won't learn to read or write (or develop critical thinking skills, for that matter).

I often wondered why

Steve Burns — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 12:35:45 -0600

I often wondered why students are allowed to take test with their books open, and notes available for reference while testing. I've also shook my head over "social passing" of failed students to the next grade; seemingly to push-back failure to when they're older.... Also, what's up with tenure? Teaching is the only profession that allows for cynical old teachers unwilling to continue their own education and have long forgotten their commitment to kids to be offered administrative jobs at a higher salary. I believe their union mandates this the only way to get rid of the used up teachers. The signs in the yard say invest in kids.... If we could eliminate the waste mentioned above, MUCH more that the present 57% of our district funding would be going to the kids, not mr.Magoo. I'd wager if we eliminated their union and tenure, the teachers could give themselves a raise, reduce class size, add technology and still have billions left over. I've also wondered why the fresman center (soon to be middle school) was rammed down our throats? Why did the existing highschool get added onto when they knew they were going to build a new highschool so soon? All this stuff is getting past the voters somehow, and it makes me wonder..... You know, 1 week after the referendum past ( by the slimmest of margins) the Herald ran the story regarding the city's concern over revenue shortfalls due to their demographics showing fewer housing starts, etc. How could the 112's figures show an increase in population when this suggests the opposite?
Oh well, my kids are grown and in college. At least they chose to keep their books closed when testing, they have a chance .

Well, I am a student of

chaska0052 — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 08:57:39 -0600

Well, I am a student of Chaska High school and am incredibly grateful for the education I have received. To say that the teachers at Chaska are anything less than exceptional would be an incredible understatement. I know we have had a few teachers in the past that may have not lived up to the publics standards but overall we are very lucky to have these individuals as teachers. I would also be one of those students on the academic teams and I can safely say we are the only public school in the state that can even compete with the private schools for state and national titles. We not only compete but we win…..Yes, its true and after beating Eden Prairie in a head to head Quiz Bowl match last week 500 points to 40 I believe its safe to say kids at Chaska know their stuff.
Sincerely,

A Very Lucky Student

Being a graduate of Chaska

MattM — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 11:21:49 -0600

Being a graduate of Chaska schools I would have to say that they are very good in most areas, including academics. The thing is, you get out what you put in. As with any school district, you can get by with doing a bare minimum of work so that you can get your diploma and move on. However, if a student decides that they want a good education, then they need to make an attempt at it. Chaska has very good programs and classes to take your education to a higher level. There are definitely more opportunities for this in Chaska than there are at most other schools. It's all what the student wants. If they don't want to be there, then the experience is going to suck. Period. I actually moved back to Chaska mainly because of the school district. Perhaps your experience is partly your own fault.
That being said, EVERY school district is going to have its issues. Even Eden Prairie. Overall, I think that Chaska schools have done a fantastic job keeping up with the incredible growth in the district and providing excellent opportunities for those students who are willing to apply themselves.

I have to agree with

whatnow0617 — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 07:26:19 -0600

I have to agree with Chaska2907 I am a alumni from Chaska High. About four years ago I moved from Chaska into the "cities" thinking that is what I wanted. I now have two young children and we are looking to relocate because we live in bloomington most people talked about how GREAT the schools were, never and I mean never have I seen more useless people in a school. When we made the decision to move first place that popped into my head was Chaska. So I have been checking out the paper and will begin talking to the schools real soon about what they can offer my child. To hear all this I graduated in 1998 second year of the new high school, and even then it was crowded, the area is growing it is a great place to live. I would rather pay a little more in taxes and so forth to make sure my children got the education they need and deserve. A lot of the earlier blogs questioned why they needed so much, wow that shows how much they want for their children. They mention something about four walls and heat..Sorry I want my child to have a little more than that. How do people expect children to learn if they dont have all the resources that they need, and it is not cheap to build a new school at all, do they take that into fact. Now I cant comment on the admin long as I have no spoken with anyone from the district yet, but I know if parents stick together and act as adults things can work and will work! I went though and looked at the teachers and there are still many there that were there when I was a student and they are GREAT teachers and I give them all the praises in the world, you try to deal with high schoolers think of how your children are, now imagine 25 or so of them in a class. If we dont have the space the kids are not going to get what they need out of school and you will get the "haff gallon of milk" but that raises a good point who put that up there? No proof it was a chaska student but that is besides the point. Give the kids what they need to be successful it is a community effort not just the schools!

This is not an issue of

chaska2907 — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 00:03:33 -0600

This is not an issue of whether or not Chaska's schools are performing well. It is a matter of the current high school being overcrowded. The current building has a capacity of 2000 students. This school year, the current enrollment is around 1900 grades 10-12. It is expected to rise for at least the next 15 years, topping out around 4000 students grades 9-12.

With a current student to teacher ratio of about 25 to 1, by the time we max out, if there is no new high schools, we are looking at having class sizes of 50 or more students. Trust me, as a current CHS senior, the school is crowded enough. The faculty does a great job, but it would be impossible for them to deal with 2000+ more students. The bottom line is that a new high school is the only answer, and the sooner we go through with it, the better.

"So I end this blog saying

flykfcm — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 19:10:46 -0600

"So I end this blog saying that puleeze -- sports -- whatever. Academics are much more important. And I speak from the experience of experiencing CHS and all of its lackings.

Good bye.
"

Maybe they did do a bad job when you were there. It's not just sports, it is all Extra-C activities.....Maybe you just couldn't figure that out. Did they not teach logic......?

I truly hope that you aren't

chaskavball17 — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 17:44:51 -0600

I truly hope that you aren't as down on Chaska High School as you sound. This is an excellent school district that is going through the same growing pains as many schools before them. Anyone that thinks that the teachers aren't prepared to help the kids learn haven't sat through an AP or advanced class. Chaska high school HAS to make room for new students, and the best way to do this is through a new high school. I don't see the problem with having a large high school campus. It would prepare students for their next step in life, which for many is college. Brenda, I sincerely hope that you dont believe kids when they say that their reason for poor grades/ scores is the teachers. Chaska's faculty is doing everything it can for its student, short of giving them the grade. There is no reason why chaska shouldn't get the money it needs or deserves.

Actually EP is a great

BrendaMurphy — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 07:17:55 -0600

Actually EP is a great example of a wonderful school and a good use of money. All I can say, is that I speak from experience -- I attended CHS, all my kids graduated, and the individuals with whom I have spoken also have the experience of knowing what the CHS personnel, etc. was like.

So I end this blog saying that puleeze -- sports -- whatever. Academics are much more important. And I speak from the experience of experiencing CHS and all of its lackings.

Good bye.

Go to Eden Prairie High

flykfcm — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 21:55:09 -0600

Go to Eden Prairie High School and look around. That is what an expanded Chaska HS would look like. That is a university campus...and way too big for a HS.

Yes, academics are the most important, but extra-curricular (sp?) activites play a very important part. If we built a bigger Chaska HS, that would severly limit the time that some kids get.

Back to my EPHS example......There are plenty of kids on their teams who would start at other schools, but they can't because of the numbers. Unless you are a SuperStar athlete you will see little time. I don't want that for my kids and the parents that I know, who do live in the district now, feel the same way.

Okay, my last comment.

BrendaMurphy — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 15:39:33 -0600

Okay, my last comment. Actually, I am speaking about teaching which is pretty much the school's sole responsibility. I'm not talking morals and respect -- those among other things are the parents' responsibility. However, teachers are supposed to educate kids and that means teaching them how to read and write, etc. That's why we send them to school. That's why teachers go to college -- to learn to teach. And, by the way, I have lived in Chaska for over 35 years, so I also have a wide, wide, and many, many friends, parents, and acquaintances who have had terrible experiences with the Chaska High School and its personnel. I do not speak with regard to the 9th grade center since it wasn't built and my kids didn't attend.

I will agree to disagree. Chaska has decided to waste the taxpayers money and it's a done deal. I wish you and your kids well. Hopefully by the time they attend things will become better. I too have spoken with lots of parents whose kids graduated a couple of years ago so hopefully by the time your kids attend, they will have a great education.

New High School

BrendaMurphy — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 12:50:19 -0600

I cannot not believe that the referendum for a new school passed. Didn't we just recently build one? Obviously, the planning commission needs some new hired help. Also, why in the world do we need a $93 million school.