HOW TO SAVE MILLIONS IN BOND ISSUE

Print Thread

HOW TO SAVE MILLIONS IN BOND ISSUE #1426 08/08/07 08:48 AM
Joined: Feb 2007 Posts: 38 S Sherry OP freshman
OP Sherry freshman S Joined: Feb 2007 Posts: 38	The last two nights the school board/CABC has been discussing how best to reduce the dollar amount of the bond issue. Since these meetings do not allow for "outside" input, very early this morning I sent a letter to Jessie Haynes, with a bcc to Dr. Teuscher and also Mr. Taschinger at the Beaumont Enterprise - though, granted, it will be too long for an opinion letter. Nevertheless, I asked Ms. Haynes to distribute the letter to the School Board and the CABC members. I am greatly concerned about the cost projections for repairs to South Park and the critical decisions being made in view of those projections, when those projections are quite clearly not accurate, at best. Here is my letter, my suggestions, my concerns. If you agree, please, immediately, let BISD know! The plan as of now is to not tear down SP but buy new land for a new school -- if they can find some land. From: Sherry Date: 8/7/2007 1:47:56 AM To: JESSIE HAYNES Subject: How to save millions in Bond Issue Ms, Haynes, will you please see that ALL BOARD members and CABC members receive this email, today! I hope to be at the meeting tonight. Thank you. Sherry _____________________________________________________________ Attached: letter of Response to the Engineers report published in Sunday's Enterprise http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h286/lumoto/SP-misc/Jack-ent-1.jpg ____________________ TO ALL CONCERNED. According to the accounts in the article the Tuesday morning edition on line of the Beaumont Enterprise, it appears that you are looking for ways to trim costs. Well, here's a suggestion for you... get ACCURATE estimates of what repairs South Park needs!!! Please do yourselves a favor and read the response to the 3DI report that was published in Sunday's paper! I have attached it for you. That's the short version of the report that was submitted to each of you at a School Board meeting, along with our 2800 petitions to save the school, as a school, along with a letter from the Historical Commission laying out for you where grant money would and could be available! Did you even look at those items? The school ALREADY is eligible for the National Registry and could easily be marked as a Historical Landmark! 3DI has recommended 1. costly asbestos abatement they "ASSUME" it needs -- abatement has already been done. There is no costly abatement left to do. 2. costly extensive termite damage -- 85% of the building is concrete! The termites have been exterminated and the damages seem to be in one room where there is an external water line adjacent to it. 3. "poor layout of classrooms will require complete interior demolition" -- what kind of nonsensical cost padding is that! 4. water drainage problems -- redirect the water drainage! 5. needs a roof -- you can buy a roof for a whole lot less than however many millions of dollars it will cost to put a new roof on a brand new school! 6. Renovation would not be feasible because of "potentially costly unknowns." -- "Costly unknowns"??? You have to love that line. 7. 750 student capacity for middle schools? Did I understand that right? But you are saying there are only 200-300 middle school students in South Park as a reason why there can't be a high school. So, if that's the case, there will NEVER be a justification to build a new school in South Park. Guess the kids just get bussed. With Bingman gone, and now South Park -- hey, South Park Neighborhood kids can just ride the bus. These items are just for starters, off the top. There is absolutely NO justification for making a decision to scrap a beautiful school on false, incorrect and vague data - not to mention the fact that a very large percentage of our petitions submitted to you to save the school as a school came from residents, parents in the South Park community! And petitions are still coming in daily. I find it completely baffling why, now, after over 80 years of SP school being an anchor point of the South Park Neighborhood, the glue that has held that community together, we now face this dilemma with this particular group of individuals out to destroy it. Throwing money at contractors and promising the community a new school won't change the problems in South Park. What the community needs is concerned city officials, improved community safety and security (law enforcement!!), good teachers, community and parent/student involvement. Those are factors that can address and fix problems in South Park. If you want this bond issue to pass, then it would be wise to exercise some common sense! Leave South Park alone! Give it a new roof and some paint. That's what, maybe a couple million. I'm absolutely certain that the building could be restorable and quite useable if someone were sent there to examine it who was not connected to a construction bid process. You could then either subtract all those millions from your total package cost, or put that money into your athletic complex! Sincerely, Sherry Moyer Sharp Beaumont native SP-'65 http://lumoto.com/southpark

Moderated by Miriam Cade 69