More School Closings

In today's PG, Oliver and Langley high schools on closing list. Why are we above that?

And in the same paper, Law could restrict school construction projects.

In Mt. Lebanon, the district has been planning to renovate its aging high school and hoped to break ground for the project in April. But the start of the project was delayed due to bids that came in well above the $113.2 million amount projected by the architect and project managers.

Now the district is in the process of finding cost savings so the work is within the budgeted amount. To pay for the project, the district has borrowed $75 million and plans to use money from its capital fund -- as well as institute a second bond issue around 2014 -- to pay for the remainder of the work.

"Our focus in borrowing the second bond issue is to minimize the millage increase, if necessary, to raise those funds," said Janice Klein, finance director. "What the state has done, it has taken away the ability to have an exception to raise millage. We want to keep any millage increase, if necessary, as low as possible."

Once Mt. Lebanon finishes its high school renovation project, it won't need to do any projects for the next several years because other buildings have been renovated in the past 15 years.

How many people disagree with that last statement? Isn't it that mentality that got us into trouble with the high school? Let's not do anything to our buildings for the next 15 years. 

I found this March 23, 2005 PG article today.

Finance Director Jan Klein said she believed there was enough money remaining from the 2003 $50 million bond issue floated by the district to cover the costs of the projects, including the overages.

Mt. Lebanon schools award contracts for Hoover, Washington  We all remember how that turned out. Anyone noticing a common denominator?