The Will Of The People
The Will Of The People
To the Editor:
I encourage all interested members of the community to attend the Legislative Council meeting on September 17 to ensure your voice is heard on the critical issue of the expansion of our high school.
We are at the final critical stage for this projectâs approval. The proposed high school expansion has been fully vetted by all state and local government bodies and their associated experts. Local government officials have discussed, reviewed, and debated the size, scope, and costs of this project for four years. Unfortunately, the timing of this lengthy review has led us to the cost situation we find ourselves in today.
No one is happy that the bids for the proposed project have come in higher than expected. However, the need for the project remains.
Even at the lowest level of student projections, the currently proposed high school expansion is going to be fully utilized for educational purposes. We are building an expansion that will meet our needs over a longer term than the previous high school expansion, which was outmoded the day it was completed. Unlike that expansion, this proposal is a long-term solution to a pressing problem, with the state reimbursing nearly one-third of the construction costs, including the additional $6 million.
The expansion plan also addresses overdue renovations to the high school gymnasium and Blue and Gold Stadium, which will allow greater use of these facilities for high school education and athletics, as well as town-sponsored recreational athletics. This will help to alleviate the problem of overcrowded and, in some cases, inadequate town recreational facilities.
The only question left to answer is who decides whether this expansion goes forward: local government or the public.
If you believe that Newtown voters should be provided a referendum to decide whether to spend an additional $6 million to fund the high school expansion they previously approved in a resounding Yes vote earlier this year, then you should attend this meeting to express your opinion. If you disagree, you should attend as well.
It is important that all Newtown residents avail themselves of the opportunity to express their opinions on this important issue. Ultimately, it should be the will of the people that decides whether we move forward with this important project or we force our high school students to learn in portable classrooms and overcrowded facilities for the foreseeable future.
The opinions expressed in this letter are my own. I am not speaking on behalf of the Legislative Council, of which I am a member. I look forward to seeing you at the Legislative Council meeting on September 17.
Gary Davis
23 Charter Ridge Drive, Sandy Hook                September 10, 2008