By Jeff Vorva
The Christmas flood at Beecher High School has caused some problems, to be sure, but Beecher 200U Superintendent Jack Gaham said it could have been a lot worse.
“We got doggone lucky it happened over break,” he told the school board at the January 9 meeting. “If it happened during the school year, I would have shut this place down for two weeks.”
A pipe burst during the freezing weather causing chaos, but when things settled down, classrooms needed to be cleaned, and the two gyms and cafeteria received floor damage. All three will have their floors replaced.
“It happened during the break, and it stinks that it happened to us,” Gaham said. “But at the end of the day, kids are not going to miss anything instructional, and we are going to get some really nice flooring for both of the gyms at a minimal cost to the district.
“So, that’s a good way to look at it.”
Homecoming activities had to be altered because of the gym problems, and the old gym was turned into a temporary cafeteria. Gaham said even though it was dangerous to run in the gym, it was safe to walk in it.
The new gym, also known as The Den, has a 10-inch hump in the middle of it because of the warping of the wood, he said.
As for the old gym: “If you walk on it, you can literally feel the edge of the boards, so both gyms are destroyed,” he said.
Flooring in the cafeteria has been removed and the carpeting will be replaced.
Gaham said some physical education classes would be off campus and, on days that are in the 40-degree and higher range, the classes will be held outdoors.
“High schoolers, bring a sweatshirt because y’all are walking outside,” Gaham said.
Athletic events have been moved to the junior high school and Grant Park High School.
For those looking ahead, options are being planned for graduation.
“I have every intention of having it in the Den,” the superintendent said. “One of the gyms will be available and if that one is not, we’ll find a Plan B, I promise you. Kids will have a graduation this year.”
Put to the test
All three principals submitted recent state and national test results to the board, and there were mixed results.
Each principal submitted game plans on how to improve the various scores and, while some said COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021 may have slowed things down in the learning process, they did not want to use it as an excuse.
Beecher High School Principal Mike Meyer was distressed with SAT math scores from his school.
“Our math just doesn’t seem to go up,” he said. “We may have to do something different, because these are not the same kids who will be taking the test.
“Math needs to be repetition. Every day, every day, every day, every day, every day. During COVID, we didn’t do as much math as we should. Last year, with a full year, it was difficult to work through the school day. But I don’t want to make excuses. Our numbers are not where they need to be, and we need to come around and take it a little more seriously.”
New hires
The board accepted the employment of Jaida Schroeder as volunteer junior high school volleyball assistant and Laura L. Gruessing as long-term substitute for the rest of the school year.