When school districts want to deny the fact that they are spending much more than necessary on school construction, they claim that you cannot make apples to apples comparisons. Such is the case on the Wake County Public Schools announcement page.
This article is obviously a reply to my Spotlight on Forsyth County’s low school construction costs. Let’s look at the claims:
Claim 1. Easy-to-develop land is almost non-existent in a rapidly developing county like Wake. The available sizes of property remaining are more costly to develop.
Reply: Wake is not alone here, as site development costs have increased statewide. Even when site development costs are taken out of the equation, Wake’s costs are still higher.
Claim 2: Wake municipalities are increasing their regulatory requirements.
Reply: Again, Wake is not alone here. Forsyth had to make extensive road improvements around the new Dell plant, for example.
Claim 3: The number of environmental requirements – which affect districts across the state – is rising and with limited land, the cost for meeting these requirements is greatly increased.
Reply: If the requirements are affecting districts across the state, it is unlikely that Wake is excessively burdened by the requirements.
Claim 4: The cost of site materials such as petroleum and asphalt are increasing.
Reply: All school districts are dealing with increased costs. Wake size gives it purchasing power unavailable to smaller districts.
The article says that “the Wake County Public School System provides playfields and athletic fields; Forsyth County does not – the community pays for them.” That is the point. If land is at such a premium, why should WCPSS purchase more land than it needs? Any why shouldn’t the community pay for playfields and athletic fields?
