Bond Wary
Dear Editor,
Please consider this an open letter to the school board: I am so not into politics. I am just a regular mom who wanted to make a difference, not only for my kids; for all the kids. And, believe it or not, it’s the truth. The bonds on the November ballot are a key issue. I asked myself many times why I would want to subject myself to this hardship and sacrifice for my family to help and be a part of this board just for the interim position for District 6. The answer is: It was the opportunity to make a difference.
Thank you to (school board members) Kaye (McGarry) and Larry (Gauvreau) for casting votes for me. Let me remind the board of the article from the Aug. 11 Charlotte Observer, which said that it was unlikely the board would choose any of the three candidates running in November to keep the seat. Board Chairman Joe White said it would be unfair to give one the edge of incumbency. The public needs to trust that the board will do what it says it’s going to do, whether it is appointing an interim board member or spending bond money.
The residents of Charlotte-Mecklenburg are clearly frustrated, based on the last nine months of activities that have gone on. Catchy slogans alone won’t pass the bonds. With more than $400 million to be spent, who will take on the task of understanding where, how and when this November bond money is going to be used, and then let the public understand the importance of it? The facts need to be presented without any spin and the people will decide.
For me to vote for the bonds, I need to know the following information for each and every one of the CMS schools: year of construction, total cost of the school at construction time, square feet of the building, number of students capacity (using the same formula for every school), the number of students for the 2005-06 school year, which district the school is in, renovations completed, year of renovations, cost of the renovations, and, most importantly, where the money came from for the initial construction and the renovation work that was done (bond year or certificates of participation). The schools that would be receiving money from the November bonds should be highlighted. That would be a good start.
Ask the public what they need to know to make their decision based on the facts. Make the information public in a timely manner so the voters have all the facts before Election Day rolls around. Certainly, the voters deserve these facts that you should have been working with to determine how much bond money to ask for. Every taxpayer deserves information to make an educated decision. I would be happy to endorse the bonds when CMS can show me the facts that support it.
A concerned taxpayer and parent,
Teresa Hermanson
Rhino Times Letters Sept.