GCS facilities director Joe Hill presented Board of Education members with a mere $3 million reduction in the proposed bond referendum. The N&R reports that the bond list stands at $454 million, though cost savings would be realized by shifting an autism wing from an expanded Ragsdale High School to the new Jamestown Middle School. The costs at Ragsdale would drop $8 million, while costs at Jamestown would increase $5 million, hence the $3 million in savings.
School board members will seek input from Jamestown parents before altering the school’s makeup. Here’s my question: Doesn’t this put the parents in an awkward position by possibly forcing them to say they don’t want an autism wing at their school? I’m not saying they don’t; I don’t know what they’ll say. But is it possible they just want a school with the capacity to handle to growth in their area, the school they were promised four years ago, the school that was part of the 2003 bond referendum that was never built?
It’s frustrating tho hear chairman Alan Duncan warn board members that they don’t much more time to finalize the bond list when they’re pulling stuff like this, all for a mere $3 million. Reminds you of governments at budget time, worrying over a million here and a million there in half-billion-dollar budgets. It’s practically an insult to Guilford County residents.
