In just a few short weeks, the voters of Ridgefield will be again asked to vote on still another school bond.
I for one will be voting no. I have a deep lack of trust in the Ridgefield School District administration. In the past three bonds that have been approved and funded, we saw an immediate result of shortsightedness.
When the land was purchased on Hillhurst Road, voters were told that it was for a new high school. Fifty acres at a perfect site at a perfect cost. That land instead was used for a middle school and when it was finished immediately portables were needed because of bad planning. Not to mention the rest of this land was essentially given away to make ball fields and a fire station. There was not much done to address the overcrowding issue.
The bond to help the elementary schools with overcrowding was again the same. By the time they were built, more portables were needed. They were built to have extra spaces but not so many classrooms and did little to address the overcrowding.
However, the greatest injustice is the $7.5 million that was spent to make comfortable office space for the district. Not one classroom was added and not one child in K-12 education is being taught there. Again, the district gave away more space for the city, as well as outside business.
At the high school, construction left an ugly eye sore in the form of an old portable that was placed right in the front of the school, which you see before any of the new construction.
We have seen with the millions of dollars that we were told were to address the overcrowding issue is very little for our children. The revenue that is generated from the leased buildings in no way helps overcrowding.
School Board President Joe Vance stated, “As we continue to have growth, we would continue to add more so that the cost is kind of paid for and built as the growth comes along.” This is the pinnacle of shortsightedness. We lose money when we purchase portables.
With all the new homes in our area came impact fees, which could have — if used properly — gone far in funding a new school.
I urge voters to take a good long look at how their tax dollars were spent. Then ask yourselves if you really believe that this one will be the one to truly address overcrowding in our schools.
Kathleen Rellok,
Ridgefield
