Every piece of land on Earth has a monetary value assigned to it. Adding assets to the land, such as a school and infrastructure, further increases its worth.
There is a cost associated with any decision resulting in improvements and usefulness of this land. The Stafford High School built in 1975 is now estimated to be worth $35 million.
That is a pretty good return on investment for this taxpayer-funded asset. Now, a small group of residents wants to build a "new" SHS with less square footage for an estimated cost of $65 million. So the "real" total estimated debt of this Capital Improvement Program project is actually $100 million.
Are the land and the "new" 65-foot-high, three-story SHS actually worth $100 million when "new" construction is completed? Well, the answer is an emphatic "No!"--even if it were 2015.
When will this land with its "new" resources actually be worth $100 million? Zager and Evans said it best in song:
In the year 2525,
If man is still alive,
If woman can survive,
They may find .
Many blunders have been made just in the planning and the oversight of requirements like the automotive program and on-site practice fields for 14 sports. These mistakes have led to costly overruns but, more importantly, affect the lives of each student and his or her future.
This taxpayer-funded CIP project does not take into account road improvements to address traffic congestion during construction and beyond. To demolish this current asset and replace it with a "new" parking lot will result in a lost opportunity to reuse a $35 million infrastructure prudently.
Paul J. Waldowski
Stafford