I just returned from a very interesting RUSD school board meeting. The long awaited Paulin facilities study was presented by Dr. Paulin. The bottom line is that it will cost about $375 million to provide a "high quality learning environment" that will have our students "feeling valued" according to Dr. Paulin. The $375 million price tag will NOT include any new middle or high schools.
Now suppose that we, as a community, decide to implement Dr. Paulin's suggestions, which are recommended to take place over a fifteen year period. This amounts to $25 million per year. Add to that the interest payments on the borrowing, coupled with increased operations costs, and the total could easily double. How are we to add $50 million more per year for the next 15 years, when we already need $6 million per year just to cover our present expenses?
I suspect that this facilities study is purposely inflated for political purposes. If RUSD says they need $375 million, they can claim to be fiscally responsible when they only ask for $200 million. Heck, they might even claim that a $200 million facilities upgrade is actually a cut of $175 million.
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You're right Denis, of course! The price tag is overly inflated, however we do have board members who think (and I quote) that "$375MM is a bargain"...
Did someone actually say that $375 million is a bargain?
Absolutely! He told me this on the break.... I (not so politely) asked him what planet he was from.
If an elected board member said that the $375 million price tag is a bargain, this individual should be outed and offered the opportunity to explain him/herself. Why not tell us who said it.
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