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Imagine

I am very impressed with the dedication and passion that the parent groups in Clinton have about building a new high school. There are Facebook pages, websites, blogs, letters, and now even T-shirts. Parents and students are proudly wearing their "We need a new Morgan High School" apparel all over town.

I am not denying that the building is in need of repair or even a complete tear down. Clinton may very well need a new high school. That said, my surprise is in the tremendous support for a new high school building and yet there is very little if any mention about the poor quality of education that The Morgan School provides.

In the 2009/2010 CAPT rankings, Guilford High School ranks 11th, Madison's high school is 25th (in '08/'09 it was 10th), and Clinton is ranked 71st; the entire Clinton School district is ranked 77th (see www.schooldigger.com or www.captreports.com).

Guilford High School ranks 11th; it is still in the same old high school building that it's been in for years and years. Maybe Guilford does or doesn't need a new school. Madison has a beautiful new high school. It is only a few years old. Its rankings fell 15 spots over last year. A new building has little to do with the quality of a schools' curriculum, teachers, and its students' education.

Imagine if these efforts were focused on sending a message to the Board of Education and administration that the parents are not happy with ranking 71st in the state. Imagine if parents wore T-shirts that said, "We need a better education for our children."

Education first, a new building a distant second.

Dana Fordyce

Clinton