CEMS Teacher Shares Support for School Bond

BY DAN EBERLE

I’m writing in support of the middle school proposal as both a Cape resident and a 5th grade teacher at CEMS. I share everyone’s financial concerns. I do. But I also see firsthand how our current building hinders students and staff every day.

The 1994 additions weren’t designed with middle school needs in mind. Many 7th and 8th grade classrooms are small and poorly located, creating congestion and making collaborative learning difficult. The K–8 cafetorium causes scheduling issues I’ve never seen in any of the seven schools I’ve worked in, and the gym’s placement is completely impractical because of the additions tacked on around it.

Consequently, CEMS’ layout necessarily has long hallways that slow transitions and cause chronic tardiness, leading to significant lost learning time. Support spaces—like the main office, nurse, and social work—are not centrally located, unlike in more modern, specifically designed schools like my former workplace, Greely Middle School.

We simply can’t renovate our way out of this. It’s unrealistic to believe we can retain most of this outdated structure and still save long-term costs or do right by Cape students.

Yes, this proposal is a major investment. But continuing to patch an inefficient, outdated facility could cost even more in the long run. I don’t want to be asked again in ten years to spend more on a building that’s already failing our students.

Please support the new middle school. Our community deserves it.