First off, I am in total agreement that the Berg School Complex needs to be replaced. More than a year ago, I attended the very first public meeting held in the DMACC building. The reasons for the replacement are just as valid now as they were then. My question for the presenters at that meeting was “What is the long range plan for replacing the other substandard schools in the district if we utilized the available bonding capacity and some other pressing need came up.” Their response, that there was no plan for replacing other buildings, but that my concern was a valid one and it would be addressed.
I spoke with school Superintendent, Mr. Callaghan, after the meeting and told him I could not support a bond issue without addressing the long term plan. My primary take away from that meeting was that the school board and school administration had a short term plan for replacement of the Berg Complex but lacked a long term vision to address the physical plant issues district wide.
Recently, with the vote approaching next month, I decided to review the current plan. It took some time but I finally found the website devoted to the Berg Complex remodel and bond issue vote, there was not a link on the Newton K-12 website. No strategic long range plan is referenced on either site. No information has been distributed about a long range plan that I have seen. However, I was able to glean one interesting fact. The last completely new building for the NCSD was built in the early 60s, more than 50 years ago.
This brings us to the common denominator of the last 50 years. The school board and NCSD Administration do not appear to have a long range plan for building replacement. If the youngest building needs replacing now, how many of the schools are going to need replaced 20 years from now when this bond issue is paid off? What kind of conditions are going to exist for our children and grandchildren in these buildings during this time? And, what do we do during this time to address the deficiency that exist or will exist in the future at the other facilities in the district?
Until the deficiency in planning is remedied by adopting a strategic building plan, I have no alternative but to vote no, to the coming bond issue.
Scott Pline
Newton