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The Sentinel Stumbles
LTE by Neil Moriarty
Monadnock Regional School District - Budget Committee Chair
782 Old Homestead Hwy
Richmond, New Hampshire 03470
07/15/07
Dear Editor:
Editorials can be biased and should be thought provoking; however, the facts need to be correct. "MRHS Crumbles" (editorial July 15, 2007) is full of inaccurate "facts" and missing information.
The Sentinel Stumbles:
Not one word in the editorial about the profession facilities study know being performed at Monadnock Regional School District.
Not one word on the voters approval of $950,000 for improvements to MRHS and the other schools within the district. The voters have approved every facilities maintenance warrant since 2000 (when the concept of separate warrants for building maintenance was put in place) - if the district asked for it the voters gave it too them. I am proud to have played a small part in putting this concept in place.
AH - the "Portapotty classrooms"; I, and many others, tried (without success) to get them replaced when the cafeteria was done (2004) - the school board and administration would not include them in the warrant. It is almost like they want the Portapotty classrooms there so they can point to them.
Kids First / Mike Hoefer supported (they supported almost everything) but did not recommend the $200,000 warrant (for those who care it is warrant TEN, which is not a partitioned warrant) - that was done by a past budget committee member. The person that recommended it also stipulated that the money be placed in a type of account that would require a vote of the taxpayers to be spent. Alas it was modified and put into an account that can be spent by the board without voter approval.
MRHS is not Crowded. MRHS was built to accommodate 900 plus students; and has had two expansions since then. The population will be around 950 in 2007-08. Additionally, there are at least two empty regular classrooms available in every one of the eight class periods. Through the efforts of the two principals responsible, the 7/8 grade children are separated from the high school (there are a few exceptions). Additionally, we have proposed that the time between classes be expanded by one minute (5 minutes instead of 4). Adding the minute will not make the halls any wider but it would reduce the unneeded urgency between classes - while extended the school day only 7 minutes.
Miscellaneous. The nurse's facility was never mentioned in seven years I have attended facilities meetings, this got by everyone - the issue will be addressed. All exterior doors can be locked- some are left unlocked (with administration approval) to accommodate the students. Signs are posted at every door for every visitor to go to the office.
Yes, I changed my mind on article ONE; I put a sign in front of my house advocating a "no" vote. I made between 200 and 300 phone calls for the last March vote - not once did I express that change in my position. If that sign was so influential - I will rent the space to someone.
The voters in the Monadnock School District have nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to supporting our school facilities - if it was asked if you supported them. If the leadership would only listen to the voters, and especially the leaders who invented/supported "Pay As You Go" (John Tommila, Tom Parker, Win Wright, and Jim Carnie) we might get somewhere. We donšt need a new high school ($28 million) or a new middle school ($14 million and $3 million [that would have been a shell only]), or a $5 million dollar Honeywell project; to bring the MRHS facility up to speed.
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