This week's Louisville Times and Superior Observer give a lot of detail as to how the 3A ballot measure would help improve school facilities. We've already brought up the issue in this forum, however it deserves another mention. The Louisville Times missed an important angle to the topic - why some people are not convinced the School Bond vote is worth supporting. The article ends with the line "So far, no one has organized an opposition to the bond."
What?
The organization Boulder Valley School District Watch and the No on 3A website run by the Concerned Citizens for a Responsible Boulder Valley School District would beg to differ. On balance I'm likely going to vote for it, however the opposition deserves to be researched and definitely should be mentioned in an article that otherwise makes 3A sound like a no-brainer.
Showing posts with label 3A. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 3A. Show all posts
Friday, October 13, 2006
Friday, October 06, 2006
The Schools Need Help - and Credibility
The Boulder Valley School District is asking voters to approve a $296 million bond in November, and the word is that the campaign is struggling. Donations are not as high as was hoped, and it's likely voters won't even see a direct mail piece. (The above bond amount was corrected from a previous post I made - thank you to anonymous who posted a comment on 10/9/06.)
Ballot Issue 3A - if passed - would give BVSD money for outdated capital equipment such as electrical upgrades, windows, installing air conditioning in schools without, making schools ADA accessible, and computer upgrades. While all defensible as needs, BVSD is fighting a credibility battle. Many people feel the District's last two bond requests put money into different expenses than voters were told they would go. In fact, there is formal opposition on the No on 3A website and the BVSD Watch group's website. The opposition says "BVSD wants $300 million, at a true cost to taxpayers of more than $600 million, to repair and upgrade schools. But the 3A bond doesn't tie BVSD to do a single "promised" item in their "Master Plan." That plan can be changed any time BVSD desires without voter approval. Think you'll get a new parking lot, gym, A/C for your school? Think again. If it's not in the Bond (and it's not), there's no guarantee it will happen."
Helayne Jones, President of the BVSD Board of Education, said in a Daily Camera Editorial that if this bond issue passes, "each of us as individuals and collectively as a school board commits to extensive stakeholder involvement in both design and construction planning. Internal stakeholders will include parents, teachers, and administrators. External stakeholders will include neighboring residents and businesses, local government, the environmental community, historic preservation organizations, etc." Read BVSD facilities threaten academic excellence.
Check out the 3A campaign's arguments and see if you're convinced. The schools need the money, just make sure you think the wording of the ballot will have the results supporters promise.
Ballot Issue 3A - if passed - would give BVSD money for outdated capital equipment such as electrical upgrades, windows, installing air conditioning in schools without, making schools ADA accessible, and computer upgrades. While all defensible as needs, BVSD is fighting a credibility battle. Many people feel the District's last two bond requests put money into different expenses than voters were told they would go. In fact, there is formal opposition on the No on 3A website and the BVSD Watch group's website. The opposition says "BVSD wants $300 million, at a true cost to taxpayers of more than $600 million, to repair and upgrade schools. But the 3A bond doesn't tie BVSD to do a single "promised" item in their "Master Plan." That plan can be changed any time BVSD desires without voter approval. Think you'll get a new parking lot, gym, A/C for your school? Think again. If it's not in the Bond (and it's not), there's no guarantee it will happen."
Helayne Jones, President of the BVSD Board of Education, said in a Daily Camera Editorial that if this bond issue passes, "each of us as individuals and collectively as a school board commits to extensive stakeholder involvement in both design and construction planning. Internal stakeholders will include parents, teachers, and administrators. External stakeholders will include neighboring residents and businesses, local government, the environmental community, historic preservation organizations, etc." Read BVSD facilities threaten academic excellence.
Check out the 3A campaign's arguments and see if you're convinced. The schools need the money, just make sure you think the wording of the ballot will have the results supporters promise.
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