Meeker students share their ideas for school site

MEEKER I Everyone has the future of the old elementary school on their minds, it would seem. Even students who left elementary school behind years ago.
FCCLA members Ryan Wix, Sage Chapin and Elissa McLaughlin won the regional FCCLA competition with their “illustrated talk” about the historic downtown building.
“We had to choose a community topic we felt passionate about … so we chose the elementary school building,” McLaughlin said.
Their illustrated presentation included the school’s history and differing points of view on the school’s future, results of a survey created and distributed by the FCCLA members and possible solutions.
“We handed out 100 surveys with three questions,” Chapin said. “About 60 percent of people agreed the building should be kept, based on its historical value.”
Recreational use won out over business use among survey responders, “Probably because we handed it out to students,” Chapin added.
Surprisingly, given the amount of talk and speculation that has gone on about the elementary school’s future, 40 percent of those taking the survey said they knew “nothing” or “a little” about the project. Only 7 percent felt they knew “a lot” about it.
The FCCLA team will compete in the national competition in Chicago in July.