In favor of a separately funded “school building maintenance district”

I am excited about the Park and Recreation District’s plans! These people really have good ideas! One of the best ones is to relieve the school district of responsibility for Buck Park.  The school district’s care of the park has been minimal, and for good reason. The school district exists to educate the kids, not to maintain parks; we need a park and recreation district for that. The school district also should not be in the business of maintaining a cemetery. Why doesn’t the local cemetery district step up and do that? Also the school district does not maintain buildings very well. It might be a good idea to have a School Building Maintenance District, funded independently from the school district. Then the school district can spend all the money they get on education and not be tempted to skimp on the maintenance of our valuable buildings. “Too expensive; we are already being asked for $27,000,000,” you say?  I say if we had had a school building maintenance district 10 years ago, we would not be being asked for $27,000,000 now. If you really think we cannot afford a school building maintenance district now, then we have no business spending $27,000,000 on something that will be maintained by an entity whose priorities are education first, maintenance maybe.

 

Chris Butler

Eastsound