[Vision2020] Moscow Residents Ask Questions/Moscow School District Ignores them

[Donovan Arnold]

Moscow Residents have been asking questions about the levy but they have not 
been answered. Here are  some questions and concerns asked by people in the 
Moscow Community since December, but still go unanswered. Most of these 
questions are asked on the website http://www.moscowfons.org


Declining Enrollment

Overcrowding? School population is going down not up. Why would we expand
facilities and buildings when the student population has been declining?
                                                1993-94           2,736
                                                1994-95           2,713
                                                1995-96           2,709
                                                1996-97           2,728
                                                1997-98           2,617
                                                1998-99           2,587
                                                1999-00           2,624
                                                2000-01           2,584
                                                2001-02           2,554
                                                2002-03           2,575
                                                2003-04           2,551
                                                2004-05           2,434

The Old Bonds Are Not Paid Off Yet
We would be paying for a dead horse. Moscow Tax payers are still paying on
the renovations from 1991 on the current High School. Building a new high
school when we are still paying on the old one is not responsible fiscal
management.

Renovation Would Be  Less Costly according to the experts.
100-80             No renovation necessary
              79-60             Minor renovation needed
               59-40             Major renovation needed
                39-0             Replacement recommended

McDonald Elementary             87
            Junior High Field House          70
            Junior High (main building)     61
            High School                             60
            Lena Whitmore Elementary    52
            West Park Elementary            49
            Russell Elementary                 46

Safety issues for the children are ignored

The proposed site has narrow curvy streets with no sidewalks or bike paths.

It would also increase the number of inexperienced high school students
driving around McDonald Elementary and the Junior High with no current stop
lights or protected crosswalks.

3 Years high school vs. 4 year high school

There has never been any conclusive evidence produced by a professional
study showing that changing a high school from three years to four years
benefits the community either in quality of education or costs.

There are also some unanswered ethical and moral questions regarding the
placement of 14 year old girls and 18 year old boys in the same school.  The
school district will not allow community debate on this subject.

School Size
Increasing the size of the high school and junior high schools goes against
what we have known for years. Smaller schools are better for the students.

Hidden Costs
The Bond may be for $29 million. However, this number does not include
increased costs for city utilities and operation costs of the larger newer
high school. City utility costs for the new high school will have to include
water, widening of streets, traffic lights, adding sidewalks, and bike
paths.

Does not Address Major School Problems

This plan does not include the needs of the students.

It ignores the electrical failures at Moscow Junior High.
It ignores expansion needs of McDonald
It ignores Lena Whitmore
Does not adequately address the needs of West Park
Does not adequately address the needs of Russell
Only 37 high school students will be using the old high school designed for 
over 500 students


Take Care,

Donovan J Arnold