Vote “No” and Let’s Get the Bond We Need
The Rye City School District doesn’t want you to focus on the fact that only $32 million of the $80 million bond is to be spent on fixing all of the ugly, attention-needing areas of our schools. On the District’s website, you’ll see lots of scary photos of the situations that truly, urgently need repair, but nary a sketch of how the balance of the proposed bond ($41 million) is to add new meeting space (despite declining enrollment), air conditioned gyms, build a “Glass Connector”, upgrade the High School Auditorium, renovate the alternative high school for six Rye resident students, etc.
The District’s website also won’t tell you it has spent over $1,000,000 on planning for and promoting the bond. That money could have been put to excellent use addressing some of the myriad of building issues in the District.
The District’s website also won’t tell you about its $22,300,000 in cash reserves that seems to increase year in and year out. Facilities maintenance spending must just not be urgent enough for the District to use available funds; far better to ask the community to provide more money.
We’re being asked to vote a second time on essentially the same bad bond voters wisely rejected a short while ago. Our schools really do need repairs and security enhancements. But our children, our schools, and our property values will not benefit from spending on enhancements far beyond our needs and whose benefits have not been clearly identified.
Please vote “No” June 11. We can get the better bond our schools need.
- Bob Zahm
