Letter: Time to Stop Growing District Building Program

Dear Editor,

The school district raised $354 million when it first borrowed money for the building program in 2006. That money was put in the bank. It was anticipated $42 million would be earned in interest over the life of the program, and that was budgeted to be spent on buildings, furniture and equipment. Because the building program fell behind schedule by 2 years, expenditures from the bank account were slow, so more interest was earned, $55 million in total.

In May I had noticed this, and asked the administration to report to the board in July the amount of extra interest. In July the administration notified the board there was $13 million in extra interest. Unrequested, the administration also presented a new list of building needs, totaling $10 million.

I have sat on the school board since the idea of a county wide building program was first conceived.  I could tell where this was heading (see the money, spend the money, grow the building program yet again), so I made a motion to set aside the $13 million to later be used to retire some of the bond debt. My motion passed.

To address the adminstration’s list of new building needs/ wants, we scheduled a meeting on Monday, October 15^th. That morning I found myself in the emergency room. I was given medication later in the day, so I couldn’t drive and attend that meeting. In that meeting the administration presented their new list of building needs. Jim Shelton, Judy Edwards and Herbert Cooper got together and voted to spend $3.6 million of that $13 million of money allocated to pay down debt. It passed 3 to 2, with Gillespie and Trotter opposed.

I knew some in the administration and some board members had their eyes on spending this extra $13 million. After Jim Shelton objected to the July vote to use the $13 million to pay down debt, I warned about this in an August letter to the editor: "This $13 million dangling out there is too appetizing to Mr. Shelton, who apparently wants to grow the building program for the eighth time…" Less than 3 months later this occurred when Shelton, Edwards and Cooper voted to spend the additional $3.6 million.

I don’t think they understand just how much the public opposes the continued growth of the building program. Remember, the county voted down the program 2 to 1 when it was packaged in a $197 million referendum. It is unlikely the public supports growing it an 8^th time, from $374.2 million to $377.8 million.

Every area of the county has had things done in the building program they are not happy with or they feel their school didn’t get enough. However, after spending $377.8 million, more than enough has been spent and it is time to stop growing the program and bring it to an end.  

Alex Saitta

School Board Trustee of Pickens