When you try to compare things which are widely different, you sometimes admit failure by saying that it’s like trying to compare apples and oranges, but in this case, oranges and lemons. The lemon is JV Martin Junior High School and the orange is the new county educational showplace off US301 North, Dillon Middle.
I visit on adjoining Reaves Avenue every day and over the past few months I have witnessed, brick by brick, the construction of this multi-million dollar state of the art school. Too, there have been published reports and photographs keeping the public and taxpayers informed of its progress. On August 20th, a new era begins for 6th-7th-8th grade District 4 students who will have an incomparable school to shout about, positively.
I was unable to attend the official ribbon cutting ceremony earlier, but later I was fortunate to have an escorted tour of the facility or at least most of its parts. Numbers are impressive: the building itself covers a 3 acre area, the enrollment will consist of 775 + students with a faculty and supporting staff of nearly 100 professionals ready to begin a new period of educational excellence, plus an inventory of literally hundreds of computers and related electronic equipment. No one can again use the 19th century excuse regarding inadequate facilities. To an outsider, seemingly a blank check was given with the admonition: get the best so as to create in Dillon a cutting edge educational revolution, second to none.
Mission accomplished.
The general blueprint of the building consists of a central spacious hall with three separate “wings” (the plan was described as a giant E) each for a different grade level, 6-7-8. The wings are nearly identical housing 12 classrooms (30+ students in each class). Each classroom has ‘perfect’ lighting, computers everywhere. I cannot adequately describe (or understand) the projection screen (‘whiteboard’) at the front of each class with its nearly unlimited capability to receive and produce almost any instructional materials. Of course there are adequate cabinets and shelving for class room needs.
What impressed me most: the halls wide enough to accommodate the traffic of more than 1500 individual feet several times each day; the gymnasium that would be justice to any university and with a seating capacity of more than 1000; the faculty workroom fully equipped for nearly every need; the media center that has more square footage than most average homes with banks of shelves and (again) computers galore; restrooms in every conceivable place of need, the band room designed to be functional with (EVEN) a sound proofed room for individual practice and spaces that can be locked to secure instruments, functional rooms for students with special needs including a full sized KITCHEN that can be sued to teach life skills, special student loading and unloading areas, security devices to insure safety, offices/conference rooms in strategic places; attractive paved, well marked areas needed for parking, professional landscaping . The science rooms
are models of careful planning even with a preparation room for experiments. There are unlimited television /online resources immediately available for nearly every need. The kitchen is a commercial chef’s stainless steel dream.
All of this can create a functional educational environment but what is most important is what is actually being taught/learned. Reportedly each teacher in the school is first of all, a READING teacher and the school day begins with a 75 minute reading instructional class. Admittedly without reading skills, little else academically can be accomplished. And what if you are a little slow to catch on? There are provisions to deal with those students whose weaknesses are evident from observation, testing and then prescription. One promising innovation is to have students seated in small groups (4-5) so that there can be peer teaching. Provisions are made for those who excel academically.
A saying is, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” No matter if the facilities are world class, the bottom line is ultimately what the test results show. With at least one element not in doubt: *facilities,” the final and most important part of the puzzle remains: student achievement.
Students, as taxpayers, we have done our part. Now prove to us that we have made a good investment.
Make us proud.
* Bill Lee, PO Box 128, Hamer, SC 29547