Letters: School costs spiraling out of control

To the editor:

In March, Rollinsford voters are being asked to support a $7 Million "upgrade" to the Rollinsford school which will cost $10 Million. For that money, one could conceivably buy ALL the land and buildings from the Grade school to the River , including the mill complex! All for an ever declining student population of about 155 students. That of course doesn't include the salaries for teachers, staff, benefits, bussing etc , which hovers around another $5 million per year.

Late last year Brady Sullivan, a huge commercial real estate investment firm, bought 1 City Center Manchester, the largest building in NH, for just under 20 Million. Mind you, they are making money every month on that 19+ Million , from long term mixed use RE contracts. Rollinsford gets an "upgrade" on property we already own, for 1/2 that price and we LOSE money every month??

UNH, long castigated for ability to waste money on frivolous construction projects, is building the NEW State Veterinary Clinic on campus for $2.5 million. Medical facilities are most expensive and this one is brand new, needing all the site work and bringing in new utilities. All this, for 1/4 the price Rollinsford gets an "upgrade" on already owned property??

Looking at things outside the box, if we decided to send these kids to a "private school" for $20,000.00 that comes out to 3,100,000.00. But if we send them to South Berwick at roughly $10,000.00 that's $1,550,000.00. That would eliminate the school at a savings of about $3,450,000.00 per year PLUS the $10,000,000.00 for the "upgrades". This would significantly lower tax rates and provide flexibility for managing the best needs of our students now and in the future.

Keep in mind school costs in NH use about $.90 of every tax dollar. That means ALL other town services are funded on ONLY about $.10 of that tax dollar. Adding to this problem is the newly revealed fact that the Company hired to do the work, is the same one responsible for the mess at the town hall. The new School Board members seem to have been duped by "professionals" into believing this is how things are done. When government has a pot of money, "professionals" flock in faster than seagulls to an unattended sandwich on York Beach!

Please VOTE AGAINST this tax wasting mistake.

Robert M. Meegan,

Lt Col USAFR ( Ret.)