op high school antics

[granpabob]

first they tell use that the high school is so crowded they need a new one. then when that failed they beg for an addition to the existing high school. now the brian trust that runs the school wants to move the school district offices to the high school. my bet is they will them claim that it is really crowde and try for the stoddard memorial high school again

[WNYresident]

Is the OP population increasing?

If so where are the people moving in from? I heard people were leaving NYS more than coming to WNY.

Are they the people still moving out of the city? Or from surrounding towns to OP? Why would they be bursting out of the seams?

[BigGuy]

The OP High School is bursting, as are most of the schools in the district.

Take a drive around the district, and you will see a large number of new housing developments, and I mean big $$ houses, going up. Look at the north end of the district in West Seneca (OP schools area), and off Jewett Holmwood, and around Armor Duells Road.

The District Offices are at the Baker Road building, which was built as an Elementary School but converted when the Lincoln School was deemed too old to be of future use.

I don't know for sure, but I would think they are looking into using the Baker Road building as a school again. They need the classroom space.

[Deerhunter]

but I believe OP, East Aurora, and Hamburgs populations are all increasing. Yes they are coming out of the City. As well , I've actually met a few people that moved to the area for employment. I am still shocked at that, but it happened to me probably 6 times this yr. It is startling to me, but it is happening.

[BigGuy]

Hey, after you look at all the growth in OP, take a drive to East Lancaster. Booming. Housing developments and office complexes.

The whole thing about the Buffalo area being dead is a hoax, mainly to sell the Buffalo News.

Sure, there's a lot of problem areas. Who wants to live in most parts of the city lately? There are great places in Buffalo, but they're outnumbered by the rest.

The suburbs are booming, and almost "building out". Cheektowaga, Tonawanda and West Seneca are having problems with City Line areas becoming more and more depressed, looking like the inner City. Too bad.

But, the growth is there, and it's real. New schools will be needed.

Now to find the $$ to build them...

(Oh, and by the way, the State of NY pays for over 80% of the Buffalo City School budget....)

[granpabob]

op is claiming that the high school is ok and want to move the district offices to that school , but they will need to build an addition on it to do that.
they also claim the elementary schools are crowded the same report claimed Windom Elementary school had to few students but they dont want to move the children and staff arround instead they want to build on to south davis and eggert road school. the baker road school was built wrong and never has been much use so instead of fixing it they want to sell it.
we have more then enough classes now they are just in the wrong parts of town, to me it just means rerouting a few buses and filling what we have befor we spend more money.
which brings me to buses they want a new bus garage at a time when studies have proven its cheaper by thousands of dollars per route to privatize buses but that would mean some of their union buddies would have to find new jobs with fisher or who ever gets the contract

[FJB]

I have a question that may pertain to this thread. Recently I was having a conversation with some folks who work for the government in one of the offices for demographics and statistics, pertaining mainly for medical info but I think it still applies here. This person told me that the interesting thing about so many people leaving WNY and New York is that it effected the birth rate in NY. Putting aside the inner cities of the state, the rural or suburbs have lost birth rates by 37% over the last 10 years. If that is the case, how are schools like OP over crowded. Wouldn't there be a decrease in enrolment? I am just asking if any of you see this or was I being given BS. What are your thoughts?

[granpabob]

new homes are being built all the time . the outter ring and futher seems to be growing and many times its people from the inner ring and city that move here. over all the region might be losing but it seems some areas are at least holding their own or gaining

[Deerhunter]

and they aren't knocking old ones down. I don't know where all the money is coming from. All I read on this board is people complaining they don't have any money. I don't know who is buying the houses being built, but they are.

[granpabob]

arround where I live the houses are all 1/4 to 1/2 million price range some up on the summit might even be pushing close to a full million , and they sell as fast as they can be built. my problem is all those big houses will sooner or later raise the value of my property and my taxes

[Deerhunter]

that there is so much wealth in this area , even though it is thought to be economically depressed ? People bitch there are no jobs, and that the taxes are strangling them. Yet like you say, a half million dollar house gets built and its sold in no time at all. I think everybody doing bad has too much time and gets on this msg board.

[WNYresident]

Over all though a small percentage of the population are acutally buying those homes.

There are a lot more people in the area that can't afford those home than who can.

[Deerhunter]

I'm guessing they work in the private sector, the people buying those homes. Maybe a working Union guy will get one if he inherited a large sum of money, but beyond that, aint no Union guys in those cul-de-sacs.

[granpabob]

sorry my neighbors in those 1/4 million houses are let see retire buff police capt retired buffalo lt retired buffalo fireman retired hamburg detective ,they retire after a minimum 20 years get another job and live to good life in big houses the rest of use dream of. the larger houses 1/2 mill ande up have business execs and owners but I dont know many of them.
the union men made a good career choice that still pays them well I have no problem with them its the fools who agreed to pay them this way and allowed a twenty year retirement with out a 65 years age attached that burn me. they were supposed to rep the people but rep the unions instead.

[PBAguy]

that is not the norm. Most of the Cops I know live in houses in the 125-150 range. Some have working spouses that let them afford those nicer homes. But that is the only way. Yea , guys retire and have the ambition to go out and get another job, that is their perogative. I want to retire and golf again.

[CindyLocklear]

The OP High School is bursting, as are most of the schools in the district.

FWIW:

Pupil Counts in Orchard Park SD (called DUPLICATED COMBINED ADJUSTED AVERAGE DAILY MEMBERSHIP) in the Fiscal Reports found here: http://oms33.nysed.gov/faru/Profiles/profiles_cover.htm

93/94: 4892
98/99: 5455
03/04: 5462

Overall County enrollment in Public Schools:http://www.erie.gov/comptroller/pdfs/cafr2005.pdf

1996: 142,354
2000: 141,205
2005: 129,618

[Deerhunter]

and lost 12,000 county wide. I would guess the family size shrinking, as well the loss of population in the County has led to this. Thanks for the link Cindy. Do you have numbers for Hamburg, WS and East Aurora ? Just curious.

[CindyLocklear]

and lost 12,000 county wide. I would guess the family size shrinking, as well the loss of population in the County has led to this. Thanks for the link Cindy. Do you have numbers for Hamburg, WS and East Aurora ? Just curious.

Hi DeerHunter; follow the link here: http://oms33.nysed.gov/faru/Profiles/profiles_cover.htm

You have to go to whichever Master List for the School Year you are interested in; For reference OP was usually row 155 or 156 and it was grouped alpha wise with the other sds in Erie County; then go to column AH that is the Pupil count. You will have to jump around from Master List to Master List but its all there.