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Funding for the Concord schools represents the lion’s share of our property tax bills. When the school board speaks, it means that Concord property taxpayers had better cash in their war bonds and forget about buying that new car.
You have to give the school board credit. Members have lots of gall and chutzpah. Not happy with just three new grade schools, they now have hatched plans to spend $75 million to $85 million of property-taxpayer dollars to replace Rundlett Middle School. There was no serious discussion about the need or practicality of a new middle school, only several Hobson’s choices consisting of a panoply of exaggerated Disneyland plot plans.
Those plans reminded me of the TV game show Let’s Make a Deal, where contestants had to guess what is behind door No. 3. The Concord school board took their building cues from Monty Hall.
In 2014, I authored a “My Turn” column in the Monitor (Sept. 23, 2014) on the wisdom of maintaining middle schools. I quoted several credible sources, including Harvard University, that supported my contention that middle schools are archaic and redundant in modern public school systems. There are better educational choices than middle schools.
I got flak from teachers who gave me their anecdotal experiences from the three years they taught Algebra 101 in public school systems. They are now experts on modern public school policy. I reminded them of a quote from Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord, who said that war is too serious a thing to be left to military men. Educating children is also a serious common effort, not the sole domain of a professional educational elite.
I would rather take the advice of experts at Harvard University on the subject of the usefulness of middle schools over the experts in an expensive school system that ranks a mediocre 90th (schooldigger.com) in the New Hampshire public school system.
I do not pretend to be an expert on modern public school policy. I am entitled to my opinions and the school board is entitled to theirs. The difference is that my opinions do not bankrupt the mom-and-pop property taxpayers.
I agree that Rundlett needs help. School architects have offered five plans for a new middle school. I offer plan six.
The school board should earmark $10 million to $15 million to solve any issues with Rundlett. Spend it wisely. Listen to all of the voices in the field of public education as well as to the sincere concerns of Concord property taxpayers, who will end up paying the bills.
In the past, well organized and highly vocal proponents of special interests have managed to control the conversation on important aspects of Concord’s public school system.
Intellectual intimidation and paternal attitudes discourage many people from participating in school issues that directly affect their pocketbooks.
The school board is now using the same propaganda tactics it used when building the three new grade schools to promote its agenda on Rundlett Middle School. The board claims it will be only a $370 annual increase on the property tax burden of an average home. And remember – it’s for the children. Tell that to a Concord home owner who is hanging onto their home by the tips of their fingers because of crippling property taxes.
The Concord School Board should be more concerned with improving the academic performance of Concord public schools that has us ranking 90th in the public school systems in New Hampshire.
I have no confidence they will be any more effective at doing that than they are at building schools.
(Jim Baer lives in Concord.)