Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Peoria School District @150 Too High New School Costs

When in Nashville, Tenn. a couple of weeks ago, I picked up a copy of the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Annual report for 2006-2007. What really caught my interest was the following: Facilities: Building for the future. New elementary school capacity 600. Cost $6.7 million. New Middle Arts Magnet School capacity 600 students. Cost $10.7 million. New elementary school in South Nashville capacity 500 students. Cost $7 million. New middle school opened in August 2006 capacity 1000 students. Cost $11 million.

Compare with proposed new Glen Oak School $21 million and up.
Compare with most of Florida's salaries for administrators and the lower salary being offered for city admistrator where Randy Oliver has made application.

Something is badly wrong in Peoria and I don't see much positive change on the horizons.

Peoria leadership, come out of denial and accept facts because facts don't change because of wishes. We are overpriced and sprawling further North adding more costs to run the city, lack enough living wage paying jobs, graduating too many kids without needed skills, turning out thousands of young people each year who do not know how to work (and many don't think they have to; boy are they wrong) and I do not see that changing fast enough for oue future needs.

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