LETTER: STEM School plans raise questions, By Grayling Gentry

LETTER:   Sadly, I am not surprised that LWSD would try to build outside the GMA boundaries, ignore traffic and carbon issues, pass off a hastily conceived plan for a science center with no labs, or sacrifice acres of forest to development of a "school" lacking auditorium, gym, cafeteria or library. The mantra is "less is more" where services and amenities in new schools are concerned -- but that chant changes when it comes to money.

Taxpayers in this district are paying up to four times the national average for throw-away schools that the district promises to tear down in just 40 years (please don't let them near my solid, properly maintained mid-70s house!). Planned obsolescence of schools serves only the special interests -- who greedily line the public funding troughs nationwide, sucking down billions of dollars that voters intended to go towards children's educational causes through approval of bonds and levies. We said help the children, not "Help yourselves"!

What is shocking, is that any credible logistics analyst would approve a critical educational sub-system that wastes thousands of collective student-hours annually. Survey upon survey show that high school kids face increasing pressure due to overly busy extra-curricular schedules and ever-heavier school workloads. The answer cannot be to force them to take up to four bus rides per day. Ridiculous.

Opinion By Grayling Gentry
LWSD parent and volunteer