Editor, Gazette-Journal:

School budget time is upon us again. Dr. Kiser is giving interviews clearly designed to trumpet the need of more of our money to educate our children. Before going off to urge your supervisors to meet these unnecessary increases, please ask your school board representative these simple questions:

1. Why has T.C. Walker Elementary been kept open two years past the point where declining student enrollment indicated that it should be closed? Simply put, the funds that were squandered over the last two years could have been used to fund pay raises two years ago instead of maintaining excess assets. Funds saved beyond the annual cost of the pay raise would have made a significant dent in deferred maintenance at other facilities.

2. Why is the new middle school being built with excess capacity that will not be needed unless more buildings are placed adjacent? By the time new facilities are built, the proposed excess facilities would be dated to the point of n...