Should three of the oldest buildings on the Winnetka campus be torn down and replaced with a modern three-story facility that would add more than two dozen classrooms?
We reported last week that New Trier High School officials were considering whether to raze and replace portions of the Winnetka campus and asked for your opinions. Most readers who responded were opposed to replacing portions of the school with a new building. Here are excerpts of what you said:
I don’t want to be one of those individuals who say that New Trier’s current facilities were good enough for our children, but in tough economic times a realistic approach without asking taxpayers for more money would be very prudent. In addition, if any plan for new construction comes to fruition, why not combine both campuses and cut down on overhead by having only one facility, instead of having two that are separated by miles and need shuttle service to each campus. Talk about waste of money.
— Al Levy, Wilmette
Suggestion: Sell the Winnetka campus and use those funds to assist in the purchase of the Stepan Chemical property next to the Northfield campus, and then build all the facilities necessary at the New Trier West campus. There will be less disruption to the students, and consolidating the schools will probably increase the efficiency of the school system, thus saving additional money.
— Mitchell Dulin, Winnetka
Tear down part of a landmark building synonymous with the past, but replace it with one synonymous with the future designed by a great modern architect like Frank Gehry.
— Ed Ethridge, Winnetka
There is a growing concern on the North Shore that New Trier has become way too large. This is not the school that my mother and uncle went to, nor is it the same superior experience that many of our friends enjoyed years ago. Instead of further spending to build out a facility to handle classes of 1,200, why is there not a discussion to break the school into two campuses? In order to avoid the highly unpopular demarcation lines of East vs. West New Trier, why not make NT West a voluntary “smaller” school and NT East as the larger campus? Additionally, even a region as affluent as the North Shore is feeling the significant pain from this economic downturn. I believe that the board and administration have the kids’ best interests in mind here. However, sometimes it is easy to lose sight of the forest and to get lost in the trees on major topics like these.
— Matthew B. McCall, Winnetka
I commend the staff and board of New Trier High School for continuing to plan for the future. Bricks and mortar, however, are only part of what is needed to meet the needs of students. Resources required to serve over 3,000 students on a landlocked campus will be strained regardless of the physical plant.
The community really needs to re-examine the notion that big is best, particularly when the district has another campus that could become, as it was originally, another four-year high school.
— Judy Meyer, Winnetka
