The high school renovation still appears to be on time - that's the good news. But as the project enters the final stretch, the contingency fund is lower than we would prefer. Some blame has been put upon Middletown Township for the fees it has charged the district, but those fees are to be (or should have been) expected. When money gets tight like this, that's when shortcuts like not paving a gravel road are considered.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Renovation on schedule, budget iffy
The high school renovation still appears to be on time - that's the good news. But as the project enters the final stretch, the contingency fund is lower than we would prefer. Some blame has been put upon Middletown Township for the fees it has charged the district, but those fees are to be (or should have been) expected. When money gets tight like this, that's when shortcuts like not paving a gravel road are considered.
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4 comments:
It is funny to me to hear taxpayers complain that we have to pay for past mistakes like when the high school was not properly maintained. How do we react? We vote down a new building pinned on the hopes of a $60 million renovation promised us by a retired teacher. Here we are $20 million later and we are debating whether or not to pave a gravel road. What will future taxpayers be saying about us?
I'll tell you what they will say about us. They will say we were idiots. Experts said a new building was needed but instead we listened to a retired teacher. We are paralyzed by the expense of a huge teacher contract yet we keep reelecting the one board member who approved it. We agree we need change and bring in a superintendent who is dynamic enough to make it happen, then we let him get chased out by people who are protecting their turf. I love Neshaminy but we really suck when it comes to making good decisions.
I would really like to know the final list of all the "cuts" that were made to level of materials and features to keep the renovation/construction this close to budget. There have been so many changes (ones that cost roughly $1500 a pop just when plans are resubmitted) that the final quality of work can't be what we orginally signed up for.
I hope that the board members call that leader of CARE to the carpet about his eutopian ideal of saving money that has since backfired. I find it odd you don't hear about him much at meetings since the construction process has begun to drag on (he probably is getting inside info this is all blowing up in his face).
I repeat the board should demand to know how much was cut/changed to stay on budget.
I parked my car and was walking to the Neshaminy/Ridley football game Friday night. As I was walking, 2 Ridley fans said, "This place looks like a **** hole". I interrupted and told them that we just spent $75 million. They thought I was kidding. As they were laughing they told me to check out Ridley High School. So I did.
http://www.ridleysd.k12.pa.us/Building/Building.html
Looks like they built new in 1998.
Wow!! what a building.
So that's the impression we give to the outside world. A school district with a good football program who continues to make 1 mistake after another.
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