Lynn, Saugus schools await final grade
IF.....
SANTA CLAUS chooses to come down the pipeline instead of the chimney but I think it's pretty safe to say we stand a good chance of finding COAL in our stocking (Being from WV, I KNOW coal). Are you ready to BOND another 90 MILLION?
Oh I do think there will be another school built soon but I believe it will be another CHARTER school. Not only can the CITY not afford to build a NEW school but niether can the STATE. Where is the MONEY going to come from?
The more frightening question is where it's going to go?
Stan: Today, the Massachusetts School Building Authority voted to place Pickering into the pipeline. 1% of the 6.25% sales tax in Massachusetts goes to the MSBA to pay for building, repairing, and replacing schools. This is mandated by state legislation. - Charlie Gallo
ReplyDeleteThat is good news, Charlie. I, of course, knew aout the 1% override. The bigger concerns are the continued NET SCHOOL SPENDING mess and the CITY'S continued underfunding given the current formulas. Where is the CITY going to get their share? Therre can be NO doubt about our need! Thanks for at least staying engaged on this.
DeleteThere are many people who have the same concern Stan, myself included. Yes, it is wonderful that PIckering has been selected to move into the pipeline. However, the city has not been able to meet its NSS requirements for years, without the added costs of building any new schools. The NSS deficit grows each year by millions. On top of that, Dr. Latham's already insufficient budget was rejected by the Mayor and she was forced to cut it by millions more because the city supposedly had no money (of course a nice chunk of money was miraculously found to give the Mayor and city councilors raises) How does the city plan on paying the costs associated with building a second new school, in addition to meeting its required NSS?
ReplyDeleteBy the time that this begins (if it begins) which will be in about 5 years, I am hopeful that we will be well on our way to having a much stronger commercial tax base than we have now via development that I am confident will be in motion by then. We will also have to go to vote for another bond to be paid by expiring existing bonds for other projects like Classical and the police station. This should also be a less expensive project. If we build on Magnolia, we don't have to deal with land acquisition and that parcel should be large enough to accommodate a "model school" which will cost millions less. The only way to address NSS is directly though the city's annual checkbook and not the means in which school projects are mainly funded. That is not saying that it doesn't need addressing. I am waiting to see what the certified cash is and how much of it the Mayor is willing to put toward the NSS shortfall. We got to do everything we can to replace these aging facilities and stop kicking the can. I can't think of any elected officials in the city that feel differently.
ReplyDeleteAs I have said before there can be NO arguement about the NEED, it's just the solution that is in question. I REPEAT "We can NOT build our way out of this problem". Especially when you consider the signals being sent when you consider Gov. Baker's appointment for SEC. OF ED. and the states fiscal crisis. The RACE is over and funding is in the hole right off the TOP.
Delete