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| Wednesday,
March 12, 2008 Once in a Blue Moon by Ray Benning Spring is coming! At least that is what everyone keeps telling me. Warmer temps this week are predicted, even a possibility of hitting 40. It's about time! The Eagle Valley school board made some progress in last Thursday's special meeting. You can read about that meeting in this issue. They narrowed their building project choices down to two options. One is to bring the Clarissa elementary up to code for $262,777 and put $5,931,946 into remodeling the Eagle Bend high school. This totals $6,194,723. The second option is to bring the Clarissa elementary up to code ($262,777) and build a new 7-12 high school just outside of Eagle Bend for $14,566,984. This totals $14,829,761. I commend them for moving ahead and making choices, I just wonder how they can make a decision without ever finding out the costs of keeping two buildings in operation. I have mentioned in the past that these need to be fiscally responsible decisions. How can we know for sure it is when no one has checked into it? Taxpayer dollars are planning to be spent without a thorough investigation. Maybe there wouldn't be that much in savings by going to one building, but we do not know that. I realize this is probably the easiest way out. Going to one building in either Clarissa or Eagle Bend would be tough on the board and the communities, but someone should have done their homework and looked into all the numbers to really see what is best for the district in the long run. I think a survey being sent out would be a good idea as was mentioned by Board Member Kim Lind. I don't think they are giving the taxpayers and members of the district enough credit. I believe we are very passionate about our communities, schools and money and many would respond. There are no visuals or explanations on what will be done with the Eagle Bend building for the five million dollars. In the cost comparison it says to remodel for function. To me this building needs a lot more than what that description provides. I hope the plans reflect that as well. Does it include anything being done with the exterior look of the building? I have an image in my head what a current and up to date high school would/should look like and am sure it could be made to look great. But my image is not something I can vote on to approve $5,931,946 in updates without seeing it on paper. This is most definitely something that will need to be done to sell it to the voters. We need a school and campus that looks inviting if we want to keep or gain students in this district. |