To the editor:

Last Saturday, a letter to the editor submitted by David Holroyd, stated his dissatisfaction with the school board proposals to upgrade the Lawrence Alternative High School, followed by obscure, unjustified analogies regarding the young adults who attend Alternative High School. I would like to address the fact that the Alternative High School is designed for high school students who need to work at their own pace, not for those who “can’t make it.” That is just a stereotype.

Here at the Alternative High School, we have advanced students who like to work ahead as well as those who need a little extra help or attention in a specific subject area. To promote the idea that everyone learns at the same pace is just plain ignorance; to deny kids beneficial opportunities provided by the Alternative High School is just plain cruel.

I like to think of Lawrence as one big alternative neighborhood, where everyone seems to understand and respect the individualism of other people, families, and cultures. Lawrence is wonderfully diverse. These values of Individualism are what make the Alternative High School great. True, $9.9 million is a lot of money to invest in one already existing facility, but the idea of getting rid of the AHS altogether is a terrible injustice to the young men and women of Lawrence who derive great benefit from the program. I would hope that the readers of last Saturday’s letter disregard it as sheer ignorance.

Christopher Volek, LAHS senior,

Lawrence