Upgrading school makes more sense

To the editor:

I would like to offer the school board three reasons why I voted against the last bond issue for a new school. First, I don?t believe the ?build it and they will come? theory that some school board members repeatedly use for the justification. The reason I moved to this community and why I will stay is because of a job, and I believe that is the case with the large majority of people who have school age children. If we concentrate on bringing jobs to the community first, the money to build a new school will follow. Secondly, we are told that more room is needed to teach our children yet there has been declining enrollment for the last couple decades (due to loss of jobs) and the future is promising more of the same. We closed one elementary school because of this and have been considering a second if necessary. If you use the same school assessment report that superintendent Art Sathoff brought up at a previous meeting, our current square feet per student ratio in the high school is average for schools our size. We have a building with lots of character that is structurally sound. Why not remodel it to suit our needs today? Finally, we hear the age of the school and its mechanical components as reasons to build a new school. Around town there are scores of buildings, commercial and residential, that are much older than the school and yet they are in good shape and thoroughly modern inside. Why? Those owners decided that if the roof leaked, the electrical panel was outdated, the heater needed replaced, or the owner needed to use a wheelchair, that it made better financial and environmental sense to spend money to upgrade the house or building than tearing it down to build a new one. I hope the school board considers this input when putting together their next proposal.

? Travis Henderson, Fairfield