Inquiring Minds Have Questions!

Here is a list of the questions asked at Tuesday night’s informational meeting at the Garland Elementary School. Sometimes I’ve added a word or two for clarity. Of course it’s not a complete representation of everything uttered by those in the audience, but it may give you a flavor of the kinds of things people were thinking about.

• Have you looked into sites in the golf course area?
• What about walkers? Neighborhood schools? I’m afraid kids will lose opportunities.
• Is this a completed idea? Are there any other options? When did it mutate into a K-8 school? Is this a done deal?
• What is the local cost of the total project?
• How do you preserve the values of small schools through your architectural design?
• What will the student/teacher ratio be in the new school?
• Who represents the State here (in explaining the complicated State building formula)? That person isn’t here?
• The State won’t pay for a stage?
• What options are open to us?
• Although advertised as a K-8 school, plans shown are titled pre-K -8. Will there be pre-K?
• How will the straw vote be conducted?
• How much will be spent on site development costs?
• Do we need to put a pump in the sewer line?
• How many feet of paved road are planned on the proposed school site?
• How will the straw vote tell you whether people favor the concept of the school?
• If the straw vote is non-binding, why can’t we vote in each of our communities rather than all going to the Middle School to vote?
• The proximity of the present Middle School to the High School provides opportunities that will be lost.
• How would the kids vote, if they could vote on this project?
• What will happen if this gets voted down?
• Did you push the State really hard to keep the Garland and Exeter schools open?
• Is the size of the new school based on the population at this time?
• What happens if there’s an overrun on costs?