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From the SNAP’s articles, I understand that the Board of Education, through the Stanly County Schools Facilities Committee, are going to seek a grant for a new Eastern High School.  Several aspects of this proposal puzzles and concerns me.
At present there is no land for this development. It is stated that land must be found for acquisition, geotechnical issues are concerns (?), and then an  an architect must be selected for this development. 
If the bond is passed this year, all this must be accomplished within two years.  
The committee seems not to be concerned about transportation issues since “roads are wider making transportation easier.”
Stanly County is fairly large.  Distance is still distance. So many students being transported each day both to and from the school will require buses and bus drivers which I understand is already a problem.
There is also the time element: just how early are these students going to have to get up for the long drive to school and how late are they going to get home after the school day, not even considering after school activities?
What is going to happen to the existing high schools? According to the paper, the plan is to tear them down. What a waste of resources already expended. What happens to the land or do you plan to sell it?  Some of these buildings have been updated and in fairly good condition. Would it not be better to just upgrade what is needed? 
One mega high school was presented years ago. None of the local communities liked the plan. Besides the issues mentioned above, communal schools have been shown to be the best for the students and the individual communities. Local involvement is created by community schools. More students get to be involved in sports and extracurricular activities. There are more opportunities for students to find “their niche” and prosper. 
This also gives more students the  ability to have academic, athletic and other distinguishing  awards, helping with college applications. Students can get “lost” in large schools and have far fewer individual opportunities in large schools.
High school is the final step for maturing teenagers and for testing their mettle. It is a vital, final developmental phase for a young person. Smaller, community high schools deliver these opportunities. 
What is being slipped under the rug is the plan to build a new West Stanly High.
Specific plans are already established for the construction of a new West Stanly High. It is well thought out, but is just casually mentioned.
Yet there are no specific plans for the Eastern High School for which the bond is stated to pay. This seems very questioning to me. There will be one community high school (West) and then the other three community high schools are going to be merged into one mega Eastern High School.
How is this fair for Stanly County students?
Patricia Herring
Albemarle