Battle Ground Public Schools is asking for too much

Posted

Kudos to Messrs, Passera and Krbec (March 23 letter writers).  A quarter of a billion dollar bond is outrageous.  My property taxes went up about 15% this year and over half of the total goes to schools.  I'm retired and living on a fixed budget.  I didn't get a 15% increase in my social security.  If the bond passes, and I guess it will, as they keep bringing it up in hopes of getting enough folks to vote yes, It would seem, as Mr. Krbec points out in his letter, no doesn't necessarily mean no.  I have to admit I haven't seen the annual budget but I would guess a good portion goes for school admission officials and of course plenty to teacher salaries.  While the teachers pay may not be up to what they'd like they do get plenty of time off from the school with pay.  Another sore point with me is the school bus service.  Holy cow.  Talk about chauffeured service.  Buses coming and going on the same two lane roads at the same time.  Stopping and almost every driveway where the parents are waiting in their cars to watch their children board the bus.  Why isn't there central pick up points for each area?   And, why aren't schedules more coordinated so buses can be more fully utilized?  A good computer programmer should be able to work out a more efficient system.  Isn't there a distance requirement before bus service is provided? The cost of the bus service must be huge.  

The superintendent says the bond is necessary for new schools, remodeling, upgrading, etc.  In my opinion, the new and/or enlarged schools will be required because of the increased population in the area.  It was reported Clark County population increased by 9,100 in 2017.  Surely a bunch of them landed in the Battle Ground school district.  It would seem there would be a fairer way to fund those additions rather than have the burden fall on the current residents.  The requests for remodeling, upgrading, improving electronics etc. should have been done under current funding before it got to the critical stage.



I don't mind paying my fair share, as others have before , but a quarter of a billion is ridiculous.