A Different Plan for West Bend’s Schools

Bart and Jodi Williams had this column in the West Bend Daily News a few days ago.  What do you think?

Taking care of our schools at one-fourth the cost

The West Bend Public School District is working on a $68 million referendum for 2008, and an additional $65 million to $70 million referendum for 2010. We can solve our district’s facilities needs at one-fourth of that $136 million (at least) cost. We have formally proposed a $34 million comprehensive long-term facilities plan. Our plan accomplishes – in a reasonably affordable way – the community’s top three priorities from the spring 2007 community survey, namely: 1. Safe and secure schools 2. Securing front entrances at all schools, and 3. Fiscally responsible operations of the buildings. By adding capacity for 390 more elementary school children, our plan also solves our space needs for the next 10 years. Our plan accomplishes all of this by: Building a new, larger Jackson Elementary on a new 15-acre site. Keeping Barton open and giving it a new roof and an elevator. Expanding McLane Elementary for 125 more students. Expanding Green Tree Elementary and its gym for 110 more students. Providing safe and secure elementary buildings. Leaving Badger and Silverbrook as middle schools and adding an elevator to Badger. Providing safe and secure entrances at both high schools and middle schools. Our plan also avoids the many serious drawbacks and lack of community support associated with the two referenda, $136 million plan the School Board is currently considering. Our plan also avoids the serious control, design, content and delivery issues associated with the recent, so-called community “survey,” including: Not having to actually live in the district to take it.

People could respond multiple times just by using a different e-mail address.

The same person could respond via the hardcopy version sent in the mail and also online.

It asked highly irrelevant and intrusive questions, such as one’s gender, age range and what talk radio stations one listened to.

It failed to specifically disclose that an additional $65 million to $70 million referendum could occur in 2010.

Since only one referendum option was offered, the community effectively had no choice.

One was forced to rank certain items in order to continue, even if one didn’t agree with any or all of them.

A written promise in the cover letter (sent to thousands of district residents) to the survey – that the cost details of each “of over 30 different options” would be available on the district Web site – was not kept. This so-called survey closed on July 3, but the “over 30 different options” details were not available until at least July 7, which means residents were denied their right to be fully informed.

Because of these significant problems, the “survey” is highly unreliable, and no factual conclusions or extrapolations can reasonably be drawn from it. We pointed out all of these issues – as well as a recommended remediation plan – in our formal written complaint dated July 6 to the School Board.

We present our revised plan to the Board’s Facilities Committee Monday, between 6 and 7 p.m. at the Education Service Center (735 S. Main St., West Bend). We encourage all to attend to learn more and be part of the solution.

Our tax money and our fiscally responsible example to our children are at stake. It’s particularly crucial during the current economic downturn to avoid any family-hurting, $100-million-plus referenda, like the one our community strongly rejected last November.

I don’t know if Bart and Jodi’s cost estimates are right, but they are probably close.  I know that the prospect of an elevator at Badger is a bit problematic, but the effort to overcome those shortcomings might be more efficient than scrapping the school.  The secure entrances and such should be stripped out.  Those entrances can be reasonable secured with the application of a little technology rather than moving the offices.  As for the rest, it looks like a decent alternative. 

This meeting is on Monday.

WEST BEND SCHOOL DISTRICT FACILITIES MEETING
MONDAY, JULY 21, 6 P.M.
EDUCATION SERVICE CENTER
735 S. MAIN STREET
WEST BEND