The school board wants to hear from the community
By Miranda Paikowski, Current Staff
For many years, there has been controversy within the West Bend community concerning whether or not to merge the high schools. On Oct. 6, the school board will take a vote which will determine the final decision on the issue.
Members of the board do not want to make a choice on their own; they are now seeking input from members of the community. Feedback sessions are being offered for individuals who would like to voice their opinion. Sessions will be held on the following dates:
- 6:30 p.m. Sept. 16 at the Silverbrook Intermediate School Cafeteria, 120 N. Silverbook Drive
- 7:30 a.m. Sept. 17 at the Education Service Center, 735 S. Main Street
- 7:30 a.m. Sept. 25 at the Education Service Center, 735 S. Main Street
- 6:30 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Silverbrook Intermediate School cafeteria, 120 N. Silverbrook Drive
The West Bend Current 
the definitely should not be combined if the are that does not necessarily mean the sports will be better for we will be raised to division as a fresh team in their first year up against division 1 super powers like Neenah and Appleton
I’ve commented before on another site, so you know how I feel. But to be sure, let me get this straight… the only benefit from combining East and West would be in the area of football and basketball and even that is no guarantee that we would have powerhouse teams… However, the loss to all the other students in opportunities would be great. So if you are an excellent basketball player, you would be one of the 15 on the varsity team.
All other good, but not great players would lose the opportunity to learn the game, learn the strategies, be proud to be on a team, learn all the other important things that a player learns from being a ‘team member.’ The same with football. I understand the cost savings, if any, will be minimal.
And then what about the other leadership opportunities for students? Instead of two schools with National Honor Society officers, we would have one slate of officers. Colleges look at extra and co-curricular activities just as much as academic performance. They want leaders… so why deprive any student the right to succeed as a leader, by cutting out that opportunity.
Leave the schools are they are now — East Suns and West Spartans.
Politically, the majority of the residents in the West Bend area are Conservatives…so I assume the hold an ideology that competition (at least in the marketplace) is a good thing. Why is competition, when it comes to their children such a bad thing in regards to having to try out to make a team? The need to compete for spots on a team would promote hard work, discipline and, in truth, a more realistic life lesson for our young people. Competition IS a good thing. Combining schools, at least as far as the athletic program is concerned, would reinforce a very positive ideology that we all should want to instill into our children.