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04/26/2017 08:00 AMMadison’s Board of Education School Utilization policy latest conclusions have been unduly influenced to spend too much beyond the original estimate of $27.5 million, maybe $59.5 million, because of parents group pressure. It seems extreme to me to spend this much just to close one elementary school with a declining district school population.
Because the Ryerson facility needs to be rebuilt due to its age doesn’t necessarily mean Jeffrey will be an inferior teaching facility if it doesn’t get a more substantial renovation than originally planned. What does “substantial” mean? What was the original renovation? What are the needed improvements required is the question, not how much can we spend.
The Board of Education needs to separate wish from need. What’s the dollar cost to the taxpayers for equity, particularly the retired ones? All of this information should be spelled out prior to the referendum so the townspeople can decide whether or not to approve these expenditures on referendum. No one in this town is opposed to top quality education for our kids, but many are opposed to unnecessary spending for a dollars evolution created by closing one elementary school.
Bob Roxbrough
Madison