MHHS BLDG. PROJECT
On May 16th the taxpayers of New Fairfield will be voting to authorize spending $32 million dollars for improvements to MHHS campus. This will be the FIRST of THREE school building projects that will need to be done in the next few years. The original project, when first announced in February 2007 which included all three school campuses, had a total price tag of $109 million, WOW! since then it has been broken up into three separate projects.
I was told by a few members of the BOE on conditions of Anonymity, they felt the taxpayers wouldn’t vote for the larger project at the High School/ Middle School that has a price tag of $70 to $80 million due to the current economy and opted for the smaller project at this time and possibly within two years to present the High School/Middle School project citing the deficiencies from the NEAS&C report and possible loss of accreditation as their ploy to push the larger project through then.
We all should be asking why the BOE, School Administrators, Permanent Building Committee and the Bd. of Selectman allowed our buildings to get into such disrepair over these last eight years. Where were the parents’ voicing their outrage these last eight years about these serious conditions? Where was Tom Edwards and his Political Action Committee, CUENF, these last eight years voicing their concerns, nowhere to be found?
The very same people who are responsible in providing a safe environment for our students and the general public that have been negligent in their duties are now asking the taxpayers to, once again, ‘trust them’ to do what’s right starting with the spending of $32 million that, no doubt, will increase to the $109 million in the next few years. I, for one, have absolutely no confidence in any of them to do what’s right as long as politics and one’s personal agendas are placed ahead of common sense and the taxpayers of New Fairfield. Maintenance of buildings is a 24/7 issue that must be addressed continuously not in the haphazard way they have been doing.
Everyone should be very concerned that the BOE isn’t addressing the problems at the High School / Middle School campus NOW, as this certainly will impact the children’s academic needs today and in the years to come. If the town follows the 10 year time schedule that 1st Selectman Hodge suggested at the recent town meeting, Kindergarteners at Consolidated will be graduating from High School before most of the work is completed at that campus. Can you image the disruption to both the students and faculty? I doubt any work performed under this scenario would even be eligible for reimbursable funds. THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE and FOOLHARDY to even suggest!
If you feel the children are being short-changed by the short-sightedness of our BOE, School Administrators and the Bd. of Selectman by not addressing these long overdue improvements at the High School FIRST send them a message by VOTING NO for this spending package, as I will be doing.
Russ Strilowich
e-mail: rstrilowich@charter.net
