Chuck Hughes, Salisbury, N.C.
♦ Although it is important to support our great colleges, it is equally important to support the K-12 infrastructures that pave the way to the campuses of higher education. School districts spend millions annually on basic operating costs and salaries, yet there is negligible funding available to address major capital needs such as school replacement. Our children should not have to wait until they are old enough to enroll in college before they have the “luxury” of a safe, amiable learning environment.
The need for capital investment becomes obvious when you consider the age of some of our 20 elementary schools.
• Eleven were built between 1924 and 1936
• Two others were built in 1952 and 1963
• Three more were added in 1974, 1976
• Another was constructed in 1998
• The last three were completed in 2005 and 2007
Over the years, 60 additions have been added to the older schools. However, additions do little to compensate for the inefficiency of outdated boilers and air conditioning systems. In fact, additions often contribute to the problem. Even worse, some of our elementary schools are not designed to accept all of the basic security updates we need without costly modifications.
There are also major economic benefits when we build a new school and consolidate underserved, energy inefficient schools within the same bus zone. Each consolidation results in a savings of between $800,000 and one million dollars every year. Add to that windfall, the additional savings from technological advances in energy conservation systems, one less roof to replace and one less parking lot to pave.
Unless a portion of the $2.8 billion bond is allocated to the needs of all of the state’s 115 Local Education Agencies, I urge Rowan County citizens to vote NO on the referendum in March.
