<p>Apparently the State government of Connecticut has bestowed a $$ grant to the village of Newtown so the village can tear down the Sandy Hook Elementary School and erect a new building with no trace of the place where the tragedy occurred.</p>
<p>I think a memorial to the victims is the right thing to do, but wouldn’t the reported $50 million be better spent on some thoughtful programs to enhance classroom instruction etc. rather than tearing down the existing building and putting up a brand new one?</p>
<p>I have a fiend whose kids attended (grown up, now) and who has lived there for 25 years. Her feeling is all the energy needs to go into gun control. We may not be permitted to argue this goal on CC, so I won’t. It’s her feeling and she has eloquently written about it.</p>
<p>No. The 50 million should absolutely be spent for a new school. Connecticut (neighboring state) is rich and can afford it. We have friends who had children in that hallway that day, and the horrible, gruesome things they saw and heard that day will probably cause post traumatic stress for the rest of their lives. In my opinion, the children and teachers should never have to look at the old building again.</p>
<p>I think it’s a tremendous waste of money, but I also believe that if there is strong feeling in the community that this is what they want to do, they should do it. I certainly understand not sending any of the kids who were there that day to the school again. I just wish there was a way to repurpose the building or remodel it so much it’s unrecognizable.</p>
<p>If I were a Newtown parent, there’s no way I would ever allow my child to go back into that building, especially if they were there that day. I can’t even imagine the nightmares that would engender - how could a child ever feel safe there again? Maybe after a decade or so, but you can’t have a building stand empty that long.</p>
<p>To Mathmom’s point, school officials in Colorado decided to reconfigure Columbine High School. The school wasn’t torn down but as I recall the library and perhaps other rooms where students perished were essentially removed. Don’t know if the community itself had a say in that decision.</p>
<p>The Columbine principal was very influential in that discussion, and had a long history with the school, and stayed for many years afterwards. I’m not sure that an elementary school, which is much smaller, is that comparable. I can understand families feeling that they could never again walk through those doors.</p>
<p>Re Columbine - high schoolers are also a very different population than are children. And to Mathmom’s point, I think remodeling could be as expensive as demolition and rebuilding.</p>
<p>Another point is that elementary schools (including this one in particular) are considerably smaller than a high school, which often consists of many buildings on a larger campus meant for many more people.</p>
<p>I’m sure the community will come to a decision that works for them. I hope whatever they choose will help promote healing and enable to community to best move forward.</p>
<p>“Whenhen- they were relocated as a group to an empty middle school in a neighboring town.”</p>
<p>They are going to school in Monroe. Many coworkers have kids who were going to the elementary school in Sandy Hook. There is no way that they want their kids back in that school and neither would I.</p>
<p>I think that there is no compassionate response except to honor the feelings of the community. I wouldn’t want my kids to have to go back in there, either.</p>
<p>Well said, Garland. I’m glad that the community had its wishes honored. If it were my family, I think that I would have moved instead of sending my children back into that building.</p>
<p>I am usually a very practical person, but I think the school should be demolished - especially if that is what the involved parents and teachers and the community want.</p>
<p>I agree.
Even if they had billions of dollars to remodel, it would forever have that legacy.
(& possibly be an inspiration to another twisted soul)</p>
<p>The teachers at the school were polled and none wanted to set foot in that building again- can you blame them? I don’t want to imagine the horrors that were seen and heard in there and wouldn’t expect that building to ever be in use again. Bravo to the government of Connecticut for stepping up with the needed funding to keep the children of Sandy Hook together.</p>
<p>Bravo to the teachers also for continuing to teach and not let the awful tragedy cause them to switch professions. If there are available funds and it sounds the overwhelming opinion of the community and teachers is to demolish and build fresh, sounds like it will be a welcome change for the grieving community.</p>