Re: No Pep for the HPHS Football Team? (Last Post, Promise)

Just minutes before Tuesday’s 5 p.m. meeting, this message from Highland Park ISD trustee John Bunten was circulated to the Belles Boosters:

Dear Parents,

Through the efforts of Dr. Orr, Dr. Coker, Jon Polando, and Brady Ream (A&P Construction) over the past week there seems to be a logical solution to the AP testing, volleyball season and pep rallies situation.  The solution is to start and complete the asbestos removal within the main gym by the start of the AP testing schedule.  We will be putting up the scaffolding above the seating areas but not on the main gym floor prior to the testing period.  This will allow the testing to be completed without any noise or unsightly disruption within the gym proper.  After the testing is completed construction will start at break neck speed.  Condensing the construction time line of 4 ½ months into a 3 month 1 week time frame will require 60 hour weeks and tremendous coordination by A&P with all subs to complete the work by the first week of school.  This of course comes with the burden of some extra costs, but since we have been blessed with construction savings throughout the project, we will be able to handle the added costs.  
This solution allows the very important AP testing for our students to continue within the confines of the HPHS campus without the added stress of relocating for some test dates by some of the students.  We probably have a little over 600 students taking approximately 2,400 AP tests.  As you might remember, these tests allow our students to place out of thousands of hours of undergraduate courses which saves their parents untold amounts of money or allows the students to obtain two or three majors in pursuit of their academic goals and careers.  It also solves the issue of pep rallies having to move to another location for the football season and allows the many hundreds of students who put on and perform at the pep rallies a chance to showcase their hard work as so many groups before them.  Lastly, it will allow the girls’ volleyball team to play their district games in the main gym and not have to be sidetracked during their run up to a strong playoff run next season. Unfortunately, the girls will have to begin preseason practice and some early non district games at the new middle school facility, but I think everyone will enjoy the new 1,000 seat gym during this period.
As the chairman of the Construction Oversight Committee, I apologize for the confusion and heartache that many of you experienced over the past several weeks, but I feel comfortable with the new schedule and that the district and our contractor can complete the work as outlined.  The solution will be presented at the Board Meeting this evening, but please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have.
John Bunten

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5 thoughts on “Re: No Pep for the HPHS Football Team? (Last Post, Promise)

  • March 11, 2010 at 6:12 pm
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    John Bunten, also known as Mr. Wizard.

    Reply
  • March 11, 2010 at 7:29 pm
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    for pete’s sake, if this contractor is like the jokers working on UP elementary, i wouldn’t bet on anything
    being done on time or properly.
    the UP job site has been a unsecured and dangerous site since construction began.
    the contractor has never made any attempt to keep the
    piles of trash, building materials, etc. secure from children wandering around the school.
    it is a miracle no one has been injured.
    so, better have a back up plan next fall.

    Reply
  • March 12, 2010 at 7:34 am
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    Wow peter griffin,

    That has not been my take on the UP construction at all, and I’m up at UP daily. I think Dr. Carter, the faculty and staff and the contractor/construction crew have worked pretty hard trying to keep our kids safe and children away from the construction materials. Sure, there’s been some frustrating times and construction materials are inherently dangerous, but if you spend some time up at UP, you’ll see that the children are pretty supervised during school hours and don’t just wander around the school amongst “piles of trash, building materials, etc.”. Safety concerns from parents and visitors have been addressed on an expedited basis. If you noted danger, I hope you reported it rather than walking on by and blogging negatively.

    Reply
  • March 12, 2010 at 12:12 pm
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    This is a great fix to the gym problem, hope it works out well with the subs timing. I am curious why it is a big deal to have the AP tests on site. We took all of ours at SMU and it was easy as pie and even a little fun to get onto a college campus for a few minutes.

    Reply
  • March 13, 2010 at 10:18 pm
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    Avid Reader, that would be great for them to do it at SMU, it appears SMU & HP don’t have a good relationship.

    Reply

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