My wife and I have four children, two of whom have graduated from Whitefish, one who is currently in high school, and a son who will be entering high school next fall. The condition as well as the inadequacies of our high school should embarrass everyone within our community.

With few exceptions, I believe the faculty and staff are qualified and dedicated individuals (as are evident by the test scores' who have done the best with what is possibly the worst high school facility in the valley.

I'm concerned and even a little angered when I hear of all the students we have lost to Glacier High School, as well as the ones who are planning to go next year. I can't fault them for wanting to utilize and benefit from such a nice facility, and I will always defend the right of parents to decide what schools they choose to send their children to.

However, the unintended consequence of all these transfers is that Glacier High School receives even more money to further enhance their facility, while Whitefish's declines, along with our community pride and support for the Bulldogs.

Unfortunately, given the current economic crisis that has affected us all, the prospect of passing the bonds necessary to remodel or rebuild our high school is slim to none. I'm not one given to "beating a dead horse" but I can't help thinking about the ill-conceived and shortsighted plan which spent all that money and resources on the middle school rather than on our high school.

This is not to say the middle school situation didn't need to be addressed, but that it should have been prioritized in a more logical order. I for one thought the high school should have been converted into the middle school, using the money from the sale of the old property. This way all of our resources could have been invested in a new high school.

High school, more than any other time in a child's academic career, is a pivotal point and should be viewed more in terms of a prep school than just another phase. Either they are preparing to transition into a life of full-time work or hopefully on to higher education. Either way, high school should command a higher priority and prominence in the way in which we plan.

Jeff Bailey

Whitefish