Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

A week ago, Yosemite Pam and another person posed questions for the PLSD to answer before she would consider voting for the school levy. These are very appropriate questions. What avenues are available for the taxpayers to ask these questions? Knowing that several of the school board members are readers of this forum, we again restate these questions and ask for answers. We also ask readers to pose more questions if you feel them applicable. (questions are merged to remove duplications and save space)

Why are you proposing to build two elementary schools, rather than one somewhat larger one?
Why won?’t a 1,000 to 1,200 student elementary or adding on to existing schools where possible be considered?

How do you propose to deal with current overcrowding in grades 5-6, both until these new schools come on line, and after they do?
Can Harmon and Diley be expanded both in classroom space and common space to accommodate 200-500 more students through bricks and mortar rather than modulars?

Why do you want funds to buy land?
Why buy land now (and where), instead of when we need it?
Is the rumor true that PLSD is already in a process to obtain land near Pickerington Road and SR33 or anywhere near that area?
Does this play into the township?’s plan to continue to press ODOT to move the next interchange to Allen Road?

Please describe each of these other ''capital projects'' for which you want my money, the projected cost of each, and your reasons for each?
The city has a capital improvements plan. Does PLSD?

What's this new bus barn going to cost us? Former reports mentioned $3M.

Can you guarantee that these new schools will be designed economically?

How will you make sure that all of these projects come in on time and on budget?
How will you keep down the volume of change orders?
Is it possible, based on past construction projects, that you don?’t have the expertise to effectively and efficiently manage large-scale construction projects?
Can you hire a construction management entity that has no financial interest in the process?
What incentives will you give contractors to complete their work under budget, and to clean up their mess and not leave a pile of debris?
If these projects, or any of them, come in under budget, will you return the savings to us taxpayers (by, for example, using them to pay interest on the bonds), or squander them on new projects that you dream up?
How can we be sure?

What measures will you take to minimize interest expense on the bonds? Please, no more of that ''No New Millage'' stuff.

Can you tell me why it?’s a good idea to build two new elementary schools, rather than continuing to use modular classrooms?
How do the total costs (including utilities and upkeep) of new permanent classrooms compare to the total costs of modulars?

According to your current enrollment projections, if we build these two new schools, how long will it be before we have to build more of them?

Realistically, what are the odds that the PLSD might ever receive any state funding for these two new schools?
If so, what will you do with it?

Can a unique place be set up for kindergarten?

Since there seems to be no commonly acceptable method in place to determine future growth locations in the district, what method is used to determine where you need land to build schools at?

If again you cannot pass a construction levy and if that trend of no new taxes continues, what are the ramifications of failing to pass operating levies, whether they are renewal, continuing or new or any other types you may considering?

By Roadrunner and Coyote

I'm back!

I see that the school board has at least acknowledged their transgressions in the recent editorial by the Superintendent. He discussed at length the need for the school board to win back the trust of the community.

However, the school board has shown little evidence that they read this article. Just when we all see the superintendent saying one thing the school board does something entirely different. One basic question has yet to have been answered. I'll make this easy to read for those in the audience with bifocals...

IF WE HAVE THE STUDENT CAPACITY CURRENTLY IN PORTABLES TO FILL ONE SCHOOL ALREADY, THEN WHY ARE WE BEING ASKED TO SUPPORT TWO SCHOOLS??!!

I've said it before and I'll say it again. This is all about fiscal responsibility. Build a larger than usual school and let's keep the portables in use. Show us that you are listening!

Mom


By Central Mom

Planning & Fiscal Responsibility

Dear Central Mom,

When you make a major purchase, do you buy only for what you need now, or do you take into consideration what your needs will be for the life of the purchase?

As an example, if a young couple with one child decides to build a house, and they know they eventually want four children, should they plan enough bedrooms for two adults and one child? Or is it more economically intelligent to plan for enough sleeping space for two adults and four children?

Hundreds of new kids are enrolled in our schools every year. It would make no sense to build a new school only to have it full the first year of use and continue to put kids in trailers. The public would be outraged at the lack of foresight of the board of education. You'd probably be leading the pack.

Portables also present a safety risk to the students. They can slip on ice going to and from class. There is no security, so someone could theoretically hurt a child, especially a younger one, either in the portable or in transit.

Portables also cost money. Bruce Rigelman has addressed this issue at length, and I couldn't possibly say anything about it that he didn't.

You signed your posting ''Central Mom'', but no mom I know would ask for her kids to be educated in a trailer in lieu of a brick-and-mortar building. Maybe you should sign your postings ''Selfish Mom'' or ''Cheap-Ass Mom''

Sad, really.

By Daphne Duck

How sad for your kids

First of all Daphne, I must admit that I never expected to get a response that covered the gamut of both the moronic and the profane. But you certainly hit the mark.

You?’re clearly just the kind of backwards thinking people we do not need on the school board here in Pickerington. You mention the life of the purchase. Your analogy of buying a home is priceless. It?’s clear that most frist time home buyers buy the biggest house as possible in their first purchase based upon what might happen in the future. Sure it does. Are you telling me that you can see into the future and that you know that we will continue to need all these schools 10, 15 or 20 years down the road? Of course you can?’t. But if we do things your way, we?’ll keep building them and then someday they?’ll sit empty. Great idea.

My children have all received an outstanding education in portables at one time or another. I was under the impression that part of our tax dollars go for grounds keeping. If there is ice that your kids may slip on perhaps some salt needs to be applied, but if we use your logic perhaps we could install heating coils under the asphalt and concrete. Add another million to the levy for that so the kids don?’t fall down and go boom. Great idea.

In regards to your mention of a security risk, how about we build watch towers and put armed guards in them at all the schools. That?’ll keep the kids safe. Great idea.

You are living in a dream world. Perhaps the same dream world as the school board is right now. You are foolish and are willing to spend this community into bankruptcy. Pay attention folks Daphne is going to save us all by throwing more and more dollars to the problem. Failure to fall into line with her will result in her turning her potty mouth in your direction. Quite honestly, I feel sorry for you and your kids if this is how you teach them to converse with others.

Mom


By Central Mom