Dr. Houston Shares Her Concerns About a New School in Menlo

At the time of publication Dr. Houston had not responded to the inquiry. She has since sent the following response:

“It is the responsibility of all board members to ask questions about the needs of the school system prior to making a decision regarding any building project, especially one of the magnitude of spending $15,000,000 in taxpayer monies.  I think it is imperative that we have all the information regarding our students, growth (or lack thereof) in the system, and to consider where we want to be as a system in 5 years and 10 years.  There should also be a rich discussion stemming from the board about the needs of our system.  We cannot responsibly make a decision to indebt our taxpayers with $12,000,000 in debt.  If bonds are sold, the principle on these bonds will not start to be paid until another E-Splost is voted in by the voters in Chattooga County for 2027 and will not be paid off until the year 2038. This means at least two more E-Splosts will need to be approved.  Given this time frame for paying off any future debt, it is very important that the board considers all factors prior to making a decision.”