For the third year in a row, I walked along Main Street with
kids from Grandview as they celebrated one of the rites of their high school
careers: Homecoming. This year, with their faces painted and their letter
jackets on, the students at Grandview High School took to the community to
garner support and encouragement from businesses and residents.
That support was incredibly lacking. As I geared up with my
camera, finding the best spot to photograph the action, I noticed something
that really hit a nerve. Before Main Street was closed off to traffic for the
parade, several of the businesses surrounding mine, in the heart of Main
Street, closed up shop and the owners and employees drove away. There were only
a handful of families with small children who made the trek to show their
support and maybe get a piece of candy or two.
The rest of Main Street was a ghost town. Whether it was a
lack of the school district publicizing the event, or if people were simply too
busy on their Friday afternoon, the Grandview community was noticeably absent.
The Grandview School District most recently scored, for the
second year in a row, Accredited with Distinction on the Missouri School
Improvement Plan grading system. Grandview High School has students with
amazing abilities, both academically and athletically. Teenagers thrive on
positive reinforcement, and not just from their teachers and parents.
Not too many years ago, when I was in high school, I
remember Main Street was full of life on Homecoming Friday. Businesses would
hang banners in support of Grandview High School, and the community would come
together to build floats, hand out candy, and simply be present. Now it’s as if
doors are closed, blinds are shut, and we go about our business as if nothing’s
happening.
What changed in the last few years? Where’s the community
when our kids are literally begging for attention?
