Public Forum:
Any time an editorial's title ends in a question mark - look out - irresponsibility lurks. Your commentary of March 18, which attempted to fan some flames of controversy with hints and allegations of administrators playing fast and loose with a few remaining dollars in the high school renovation project, was scurrilous and wildly uninformed. But most importantly, it wasn't good for the kids.
The much-needed Elmbrook renovation project - a big deal by any measure and one that area taxpayers can be proud of - has nearly come to completion and is - get this - on time and under budget. Pulling this off has been no small feat and our School Board and its contractors deserve our thanks for managing the considerable risks associated with such a large project.
But here's the thing: The "glorified wish list" that you so darkly referred to, giving the whiff of inappropriate late night deals, were on the construction-related expenses list from long before day one. These are not inappropriate luxuries dreamt up at the last minute. The record is clear and public. Among other things, we're talking about replacing a 40-year-old wooden gym floor riddled with cracks and dead spots, replacing 40-year-old concrete risers in the band room in order to safely handle the large number of kids in the program, and fitting out a theater space that has become an unexpected arts success story. These are not new issues.
So we have to ask ourselves, is it worth sending a few bucks back to the taxpayers - enough to maybe fund a dinner for one at one of the many swank joints on Blue Mound - or would it be better to finish the job we set out to do. Let's ask ourselves, is it good for the kids?
Barry M. Wightman
Elm Grove
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