I found last week’s Letter to the Editor submitted by the ISD 166 school board rather perplexing. The letter stated “we write to thank you, the citizens of Cook County, for approving both the Operating Levy and the Facilities Bond” passed in November.
It might serve the board well to remember that 44 percent of the county citizenry voted against the bond issue and 42 percent voted against the levy. Hardly a mandate supporting the amount of funding the ISD 166 was requesting.
Had less than 280 votes swung the other way the levy would have failed, less than 220 votes switching to the “No” check box would have rendered the bond issue unsuccessful. No doubt those with a vested interest in the outcome…parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles of students along with teachers and school staff made passage of both issues a reality. Certainly understandable support on their part, but arguably a stacked deck in favor of any school referendum vote.
In their letter the board vowed “to use the dollars wisely.” As the referendum language stated, the board would be allowed to bond “up to” $6.5 million. The board is not obligated to bond for/or spend every dime, though they will no doubt conjure up just enough “worthy” expenditures to do just that. Many voters feel spending a proposed $2 million on upgrading science classrooms and $1.2 million on a culinary arts program is already an example of not using bond dollars “wisely.” As has been the case with recent local public projects…the consultant fees, cost overruns, interest, bonding fees and litigation will no doubt be a factor in burning up those referendum dollars. Think YMCA, library, broadband, business park, golf course and school hockey rink to name just a few.
Perhaps the board should make a vow to not so quickly spend it all, reserving some bond dollars to cover facility items that will most assuredly arise over the next 20 years. Perhaps doing so in good conscience to reduce the ever-increasing sticker shock to fixed income county residents and the low wage workers who continually struggle to make ends meet in the ISD 166 school district.
Is anyone taking odds on whether the school board reinstates its own $724/student in non-voter approved levies in four years as they expire? Or on how much ISD 166 will need to levy in an attempt to fund its new educational enhancements when the voter approved $800/student levy expires in six years?
I’d be happy to wager my three-tenths of one percent Social Security increase on those bets!
Bob LaMettry
Grand Marais
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