Dear Editor,<\/p>\n
The new Owego Elementary School is nearing completion and the new Administrative Building is \u201ccoming out of the ground.\u201d As one might expect there is plenty of \u201cspin\u201d, \u201cslant\u201d, and part of the facts to be found in the Reader\u2019s Column. When one comments from \u201cbehind the curtain\u201d and identities are concealed, it is easy to be the \u201cAll Knowing Oz.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over the past few weeks one reads about \u201cIt\u2019s an ugly building\u201d; \u201cIt\u2019s an extravaganza\u201d; and \u201cWhy Dr. Russell is retiring.\u201d On the other side you get \u201cYou had your chance\u201d; \u201cThere was public discussion of the new buildings and their features complete with drawing, etc., \u201cWhere were you?\u201d Another felt the need to tell the naysayers to lay off, because \u201cIt did not cost you (the local taxpayer) anything!\u201d<\/p>\n
Some fact, some spin in all of that! SO \u201cWHAT\u2019S UP DOC?\u201d Here\u2019s what\u2019s up! Your new school\u2019s size, features, and functionality was determined by your architect\u2019s after interviewing teachers, students and administrators of OES. No community members were consulted nor input asked for.<\/p>\n
We asked and \u201cNo thanks\u201d was the reply from your Board. So once the \u201cWish List\u201d was completed and the Genie, Dr. Russell, after many months of battling, with the help of Senator Schumer and other Politicians, made it happen! And you now see the results; a 125,000 sq. ft. State of the Art, Elementary School, complete with everything a teacher and student could ask for; plus a $1.4Million dollar Auditorium, paid for by you, the local taxpayer!<\/p>\n
How you ask? Easy! The $1.4 million was the one necessity not covered by FEMA, NYS Relief Funds or the DOE. It came from your district\u2019s (OACSD) building fund. How does that money get back into the Building Fund? By raising your Tax Levy so the District can \u201cbalance\u201d the annual budget. All perfectly legal, all perfectly above board, once the annual budget is approved by you, the taxpayer.<\/p>\n
This years 3.7 percent increase of $589,134, which you approved on May 19, sealed the deal. At the end of this school year there will be the normal $2 to $4 million surplus, a part of which will go to \u201creplenish\u201d the \u201cBuilding Fund.\u201d This is the shell game played by all school districts.<\/p>\n
So don\u2019t be fooled by the \u201cIt didn\u2019t cost you anything crowd.\u201d Mom was right! There\u2019s still no free lunch! Somebody Pays! In the case of OES you kicked in $1.4 million for the auditorium.<\/p>\n
If you naysayers really feel that this building is not what was wanted or needed, vote no on May 24, 2016; that\u2019s your next budget vote. Or surprise the Board, come to a board meeting and tell your Board members yourself.<\/p>\n
Sincerely,<\/p>\n
Joe Chartrand<\/p>\n
Tioga Citizens for Affordable Education & Excellence<\/p>\n
Owego, N.Y.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dear Editor, The new Owego Elementary School is nearing completion and the new Administrative Building is \u201ccoming out of the ground.\u201d As one might expect…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-letters"],"yoast_head":"\n