Editor:
Im optimistic about the new high school.
While my wife and I are relative newcomers to Cortez, you dont have to live here long to understand that at its core, this town is made up of practical, no-nonsense people. And thats why Im optimistic.
As practical people, we naturally want our kids to have a good education. Good education happens, in part, when the adults of the community send the message that education is important and that our young people are expected to take it seriously. We adults send that message loud and clear when we provide a good facility.
Even though our current high school building looks good from the outside, when you take a tour (a number of tours are scheduled and available) you see that the building has major problems a lot of the classrooms are absurdly small; the ventilation system doesnt work; there are toxic substances in some of the floors; the science labs are hopelessly out of date; the roof leaks; and the building cannot be properly secured.
In fact, the condition of our building is so bad, and our need to replace it is so dire, that we have qualified for assistance from the state that will cover half the cost of a new building, provided we come up with the other half.
So, if youre a sensible person who doesnt like paying taxes, you will be voting yes on the bond issue this fall, because the need for a modern high school is not going away but this half price deal will.
Bob Waggoner
Cortez
Via email