Bond committee needs to handle schedule, S. Park
Updated 07/24/2007 05:02:17 PM CDT
It's the middle of summer, but November isn't that far away. That's especially true if Beaumont residents want to approve a bond issue then. The election would have to be called by Sept. 5. The bond committee and school board also have to work hard during the next few months to sell the bond issue to voters.
 
Unfortunately, the bond committee met this week for the first time in nearly five months and still lacks consensus. This panel must keep working diligently on this task so that the school board can run the final lap.

The bond issue faces enough challenges as it is, yet some members of the bond committee still prefer a single take-it-or-leave-it proposition. We think that would simply guarantee another disappointment.

If the bond issue is broken up into several sections - such as elementary, middle and high schools - some items are much more likely to be approved. For a school district that hasn't had a major bond issue since 1994, anything is better than nothing. Paradoxically, voters might even OK the whole package because they appreciate the trust shown to them.

The South Park campus remains a sticking point. BISD officials should review the engineering report to be sure about the cost-effectiveness of redoing the building. If that's not feasible, school officials should at least build a new structure that copies the façade and layout of the old school.

Yet the needs of current residents of South Park who have children in the district must take precedence here. The past of this high school is important, but the district's future is more so.

 

Updated 07/24/2007 05:02:17 PM CDT