In Australia, I’ve been told, collections of gamblers are called schools–a “two-up school,” for example, is a bunch of people playing the classic Oz game. (If you’re from Australia, let me know if this is true). In America, there are dealer schools, and even degrees in casino management, but Donald Trump wants to take it one step further. From the Inky:
Trump casinos has made an offer to the Philadelphia School District to buy a school that sits on land where it proposes to build a slots parlor in Nicetown.
Trump wants the Randolph Skills Center, a 400-student vocational-technical high school at Henry and Roberts Avenues, district spokesman Fernando Gallard said yesterday.
Gallard would not say how much Trump had offered for the school, but added that a decision would not be made for a while.
…
Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc. has proposed a $350 million casino for a portion of the approximately 80-acre site in Nicetown that once held the Budd Co. factory. The property, between Roosevelt Boulevard and Hunting Park Avenue, is owned by Preferred Real Estate Investments of Conshohocken.
Trump has encountered heavy community opposition to his casino plan. Community groups in Nicetown have held protests, and a number of residents have put up lawn signs opposing the casino. Opponents of a potential sale of the school are scheduled to speak at the School Reform Commission meeting today.
Philadelphia Inquirer | 02/08/2006 | Trump wants to buy city school for casino site
My thoughts? My high school was demolished to make way for a casino parking lot. Atlantic City High School was bought and torn down by Park Place Entertainment because the community was, apparently, crying out for more valet parking spaces for the Hilton (though it might have been called Bally’s Grand back then). So I don’t think it’s such a big deal.
Maybe he’ll build an education-themed casino…they could call the player loyalty program the “Valedictorians Club” and have cocktail waitresses in cheerleader outfits. And, of course, mystery meat in the student cafeteria-themed buffet.