There is a giant air conditioning chiller in the commons area of Carroll High School. It’s an eyesore and hazard that has been a disgruntling subject for many years.
The idea of moving that chiller is high on the agenda of the Carroll High School Alumni Associations and the Thomas Morehead Foundation.
Both organizations are laser-focused on the school’s declining academic performance and the quality of its physical plant.
At the March 1st meeting of the school board’s facilities committee, three prominent Carroll alumni voiced concerns about both Carroll’s academics and about the location of the chiller.
In its glory days, there was a common area between two wings of the school where students congregated and shared free time on a grassy space outside the cafeteria. However, a few years ago, the system decided to place a huge grotesque-looking air conditioning chiller in the space.
Recently, the board decided to make upgrades to the chiller, which gave rise to protests about its location. Despite the protests, the board has let bids and work estimated to cost about $5 million has begun. Alumni feel the decision to place the chiller in the common area would not have been made if the school was any other than Carroll High.
Even as the work is underway the alumni continue to protest. They want the chiller moved all together and placed on the rear of the building for reasons of safety and aesthetics.
The alumni were politely rebuffed and told that it would cost $10 million to move the chiller. The committee wanted to know whether the foundation or the alumni were willing to pay that cost.
Armed with a study of the school’s academics and facilities the alumni groups appealed to the board members to consider the safety of the students. One alumnus, Victor Kirk, noted that the school needs a site plan to locate buildings and facilities in areas that would complement education.
Bernadine Adams and Juanita Woods questioned the safety aspects of the project.
Woods spoke of her frustration over the money being spent on expanding the school’s band building and not the fact that there are only about 15 high school students in the band, the rest are from the Jr. High. She said the same about the school’s focus on the choir building, built at a cost of $2 million for a 15 member choir.
Thomas Morehead is an Atlanta Millionaire who is a Carroll High School alumnus. He has assembled other Carroll High School legends to start and fund a non-profit to address some physical and academic problems at the school.
They all say Carroll’s average 15.1 score on the ACT is unacceptable as well as its “F” academic performance score by the state.
They remember how “Bossman,” Henry Carroll, and the sense of pride he had in Carroll’s academics and facilities. He instilled pride in all Carroll graduates and alumni during his lifetime
For alumni, the location of the air conditioning chiller in the commons ground has come to symbolize the approach of the school system with regards to Carroll High.
They placed the chiller in the common areas because it saved money; how it affected student morale and safety was secondary.
To the alumni, that attitude is the root of the problem.
We agree.
