With all of the questions on where the money has gone and is going, one has to wonder how much other school renovations cost and did these lead to the current financial hardship that the district is claiming? What are the plans for future renovations? How about after the 10 year period that the district claims that it will be in a better financial spot?

Just nine years ago, the district claims that it spent $21,650,475 on Eisenhower Elementary and Eisenhower High School for renovations. Then in 2019, the district spent $24,051,029 on Warren Area High School alone.

Were all of these renovations really needed at these two schools? Did these two expenditures cause the current situation? The district is claiming that Youngsville needs $25 million in renovations and that is one reason to close it. Instead of spending the money on the other schools, why didn’t the district consider closing them at the time? Actually it was looking into closing Eisenhower back when it was renovated instead.

There were reasons for the district to decide to renovate instead. Could these same reasons exist with Youngsville as well? This is possible.

Of the $25 million for Youngsville, how much is really needed right now? Of this $25 million that the district keeps claiming, there is absolutely nothing that Youngsville needs right now to continue housing students. The district is claiming that things like new stage curtains, an industrial mixer, heating and ventilation systems, doors and windows, and paint, along with a new floor in the gym. None of this is affecting the structure of the building and causing a harmful situation to the students.

Members of the community have offered to perform fundraisers to bring down the cost to the district but the district once again did not respond to this offer. There are also many grants that the district could get for some of these items but nothing has been said about this being looked into. If a different school was to close, couldn’t some of these items come from the school that closed?

Well, the district does have a newer fleet of trucks that could move some of these items? How about the $80,000 cube van the district purchased? I am sure it could handle moving items from one location to another. Since none of these items need to be done right away, couldn’t the district simply wait out this 10-year period that they claim will put them in a better financial situation or what are they thinking they will do after that period?

One rumor that is going around is that after that 10-year period, the district will look into building a new school, in a central location of the county.

Wait a minute! Youngsville is a central location for the county! Wouldn’t it make more sense to keep a hold of this location then to give it up and look for another one?

Wouldn’t the cost of a new building be more than the $25 million needed for the renovations of Youngsville? At that time, would the district be looking to close and move the students that are not in this central location?

If so, that means that Eisenhower would be in their sights for the next school closing. If this is what the plan is, why not move all of the Eisenhower students to Youngsville now? This would keep the students of the district going through all of this now and again in 10 years.

In closing, the claimed cost of renovations to Youngsville by the district can be held off for awhile. After all, historically other school buildings have waited about nine years longer for their renovations and waiting that period this time, would put the district close to their 10-year period. Are the school renovations the only hit to the revenue that the district currently receives? Why yes there other ways that the district will lose revenue if they proceed with the closing of Youngsville. This is a subject for another day.

Hal Dunkle is a Pittsfield resident.