Students Welcomed Back | yorkhighlights

By Estephanie De La Cruz

HIGHlights staff

Although many New Hope students are sad about the closing of their school, there are many positives that can come from this closing. Next year, our halls will be a bit fuller, filled with new students, our neighbors, our friends, our peers.

This will provide the district a chance to save money and use this money, taxpayer money, for things that interest the students and activities that can benefit us all. We can fill up these empty classrooms that are collecting dust instead of being full, like they used to be and should

Students welcomed back to the district

should be. Who doesn’t dream of having a huge graduation class?! The incoming students will experience a new learning environment as well, something they haven’t experienced, and something that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Combining two schools brings more diversity into the building as well. We as a school and as a community will get to show our talents together as one. Diversity has always been one of our districts many strengths.

This closing will bring us more united as a community, and there will be less segregation between families and neighborhoods. How nice would it be for the community to come together? This will show outsiders that we are a united family. In time, this could change the public perception of York City. There will be no more sides within us, we will become one.

Let’s also think about the schools our district closed due to money lost because of charter schools. Having charter schools open did not always benefit the kids currently in them. Some teachers were not properly certified to teach, which may have caused some difficulties for students to learn. With a smaller, select population, New Hope was unable to produce test scores significantly higher than those within the district, which, unfortunately, is how we are judged by others.

There will be more diverse curriculum and more class selections for the students to choose, like in the past, prior to budget cuts and charters. William Penn is known for the huge pool that we have that is completely empty! Why not fill it up with water for the students to also enjoy! We can get the district to consider having many of the sports and clubs reopened to the students as well.

Let’s make this closing a positive change. It is our responsibility to welcome and accept these students, because we are all in this together. It will not be easy for these students to leave a school where they made so many memories and be rushed into a new one with little notice.

Let it be known that York High welcomes them! Although many students will miss New Hope, we as a school welcome them into an open environment. We will give them our support and cooperation to make this a success. We will become one again!