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Letter: Not enough data to prove growth coming
Op-Ed · January 05, 2017
During the school board’s information forum on their proposed referendum, school board President (Mike) Colbert stated that there are predictions indicating a potential increase for future student enrollment.
Why anybody would think such a thing is truly baffling.
Every year it seems like there is always a big problem with reduced student enrollment and the subsequent reduction in state funding that is based on the student count. The school administration has to take steps to tighten the budget and, much to their credit, have done so without weakening the teaching process. Just what is the perfect number of students for the school district? Fewer students and the district loses money or more students and there is an apparent need for spending millions on this referendum. Nobody has any way of knowing who will come to or leave the school district. The trend and the times seem to indicate there will be reduced enrollment.
So what is the reality of student enrollment for the future and why is building additional classrooms so important if there is no increased enrollment? Just where will the new students come from? West Branch has had some development over the years, but, in truth, it has been slow and sporadic. There are limited building areas in town and, of course, a new home is pretty tough to afford if you are a young couple starting a family. This referendum will add taxes that will make it even more difficult to encourage home ownership in the school district. All the commercial businesses south of Interstate 80 didn’t spur growth like predicted and new school buildings won’t either.
Interest rates are going up, which shouldn’t surprise anybody as they have been kept low for too long. Typically, higher interest rates will spark some inflation and, of course, with a long-term, high-priced project, that will create additional cost. Anyone that thinks this 19.11-million-dollar project won’t cost more is just kidding themselves. Very few projects get done under budget.
The referendum is based on a much-talked-about 15-year plan. I understand we are a few years into that plan, but who can say where things will be even 10 years from now? The school district should have a fluid and ongoing plan based on facts and reality. The plan should deal with current needs without Orwellian predictions about the future. I just don’t believe the district taxpayers can afford this huge increase in very real dollars.
Rod Hanson
West Branch
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