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Ludlow residents get "schooled" By Jami Pirillo |
In a city where drug use and crime are common occurrences, it is easy to ask the simple questions. How do you stop the crime from happening? How do you get rid of the drugs?
It is not as easy, however, to ask the questions people do not always think to ask. Drug use and crime, unfortunately, are natural occurrences in an urban environment, so it is somewhat expected for the local government to concentrate their efforts on those subjects. But Jennifer Rodriguez is questioning Philadelphia city officials on a different topic.
“I want to know why they can’t build a new school in the neighborhood,” Rodriguez said. As a resident of the Ludlow section of Philadelphia for thirteen years, Rodriguez has seen some transformation in housing developments but has not seen a new school built for her three children, ages seven, nine and twelve. All three children attend school at the James R. Ludlow School located at Sixth and Master streets.
“I don’t think the school is bad or anything, but they just added a whole bunch of new stuff to this old building,” Rodriguez said. “I just think it’s dumb…they should’ve just built a brand new school.”
The “new stuff” Rodriguez is alluding to include a new library, science lab and computer lab. There are currently more than 300 students enrolled in the school, grades kindergarten through eighth.
The question Rodriguez poses is an interesting one. Why not just build a new school instead of remodeling an old one? One quick answer would be the cost of such a project, not to mention the subject of where a new school would be built.
Rodriguez believes the city should stop building more houses and put in a school instead. build these houses to bring people into the neighborhood. What’s the point of bringing more families in if you don’t have a school to put the kids in?” At least one other person shares Rodriquez' opinions about the school. Terrence McCray thinks future crime and drug use could be avoided if a school were built for the children of Ludlow.
“It sounds corny, but those kids really are our future. They need a place to occupy their minds and keep them out of trouble,” McCray said. “I don’t think an old building with a few new classrooms is going to do that for them.”
There are several residents of Ludlow who are not in favor of a new school being built, however, and for different reasons.
Shaunte Jackson is not interested in the noise that would come with construction of a new school. “We got enough building of stuff around here already,” Jackson said. “It’s bad enough with houses, and they’re small you know? A school is big and I’m not trying to wake up hearing bulldozers and hammers everyday for months.”
While the construction aspect also bothers Julius Petty, he believes a new school is simply not necessary. “I don’t think we need it, I mean the school’s not real crowded right now,” Petty said. “If they built a new school it would be a waste of money that they could spend on something better, like cleaning up the neighborhood.”
Petty does bring up a valid point. A new school is not in the works for Ludlow, but even if it were, would it be a waste of money? According to census data more than 70 percent of the residents in the area are above the age of 18 and, therefore, would not be directly affected. Or would they?
“Maybe a majority of the people around here are out of school but that doesn’t mean they don’t have kids or could have kids that go to that school one day,” Rodriguez said. “Maybe when it affects them they will care.” |
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“They’re [the City of Philadelphia] spending all that money to