READER SURVEY: Is it true that Decorah School District parents insist on having their children attend a school that's near downtown Decorah?

--by decorahnews.com's Paul Scott

We're in the beginning stages of another discussion about school facilities in Decorah.  Every time this topic comes up, the statement is made that, "A proposed new school MUST be built within walking distance of downtown."

It's true that having Decorah's schools located where they are now is extremely convenient.  Parents are able to drop off students and pick them up without having much of a trip.

But there's also a disadvantage to always building schools near downtown Decorah.  Because of that darned meteorite that struck Decorah 470-million years ago, property within the crater is limited, especially for a big project like a school campus.  As a result, schools are built next to one another, like Carrie Lee and Decorah Middle School and like John Cline and Decorah High School.  Take a look at the aerial photo of the result at one of the school campuses.

When other communities need to build new school facilities, they often buy a piece of farmland or empty property on the edge of their town.  There's a big advantage to this--there's enough room for athletic facilities, playgrounds, classrooms and future growth.

In the past, this type of option has not been explored in Decorah--because of the conventional wisdom that "People won't support this."

But, as a news reporter, I'm trained to question assumptions.  I realize that this won't be a scientifically valid survey, but it's your chance to e-mail news@decorahnews.com with your reactions to several of these questions:

--Do you oppose building a new school building on the edge of town under any conditions?

--Do you oppose building a new school building for young students in kindergarten through 2nd grade, but would you be willing to consider a proposal for 3rd through 5th or 6th through 8th graders at such a school?

--Is your opinion influenced by where the school would be built?  In other words, is your opinion different for building a new school near Vennehjem or on Pole Line Road than it is for building a new school at North Winneshiek?

This might be interesting!  Again, send your e-mails to news@decorahnews.com.  We'll allow you to use only your first name.