While the Wicomico County Board of Education (WCBOE) has announced that they will save taxpayers $120,000 by changing bus routes, they also propose spending $462,000 to re-pave and expand a parking lot … that doesn’t need it.
WCBOE proposes to spend $462,000 from the “School Construction Fund” (a maintenance account) to expand and re-pave the parking lot at Quantico’s Westside Primary School. There’s just one problem – the lot doesn’t appear to need re-paving.
Yes, it appears that the parking lot and driveway could use some patching. It probably wouldn’t do any harm to give the lot a nice over coat as well. Informed sources estimate that this could cost $30,000 – $40,000.
Why, then, should the taxpayers fund an unnecessary half million dollar project? According to a WCBOE board member, who we won’t embarrass by naming, the parking lot needs to be expanded because some parents have to park on the street on PTA nights!
That’s right, children at Beaver Run Elementary don’t have functioning water fountains in their school, but Westside needs a new parking lot so that parents won’t have to walk an extra 50 yards!
This is one more reason why Wicomico citizens are so disenchanted with the WCBOE. Yes, there are a VERY few who simply don’t want to spend ANY money on education. Most citizens simply request that the WCBOE spend their tax dollars WISELY.
To view all of the photos taken (in larger sizes), CLICK HERE.
25 comments:
I just love when morons like you voice opinions about things they have no clue of. Did you bother tho even check the engineering study?
Keep that info coming Joe---They need someone to be hot on their trails.
Way to much waste on their part-----when it's not their money they ,like our Gov.---spend ,spend, spend needlessly!
8:57 - you are an idiot and a waste of space! It is our money, not yours! If you want to fund it out of your pocket then by all means do so, but quit wasting OUR money. I am sure that the extra money could better help fund other aspects of our educational system. Remember, it's all for the children, not for the adults.
While youre on a money trail. Try to figure out why Hebron's Fire Department has a dive team with full dive equipment when there's no water except for a small patch of Quantico Creek.
The engineering study? Oh they spent more money to study this. Mmm , sounds like the WBOE , idiots at work.
G.A , please , it's for the little children! NOT!
so now we need to pay for an engineering study to tell us that a parking lot needs almost 1/2 million dollars spent on it, when in reality it could use some patching.
1. why hire the "study"? how much did we pay for that?
2. can't we just use common sense to make these kind of decisions?
thank you again sbynews for overseeing important issues regarding our tax dollars.
That parking lot definitely needs to be redone. It isn't big enough for all the employees to park let alone any parents. People park on the basketball court or across the street on others property. They don't even have a designated drop off area so when you do take your kids you have to contend with the last minute employees rushing to get there. I have personally gotten 2 flat tires while having to park in random lots or next to the dumpster.
Anon 9:42 Thank-you, It's so easy
to give an opinion. Your right the
parking lot is too small and needs repaving.
Are you people that dense! THERE'S NO MONEY!!!! The country is broke and you're worried about parking lots that do NOT need to be re paved. America is proving to have some of the most spoiled rotten people on earth.
The existing paving at this school is falling apart and overlaying it without correcting the underlying problems would be tantamount to painting over rotten wood. Whomever told you some patching and 'over coat' would solve the problem isn't as informed a source as you may think.
The $30,000-$40,000 figure given for repaving is accurate. Maybe 8:57 is right and there has been a study that suggests more than paving has to be done, but $500K still sounds very steep. 8:57, while maybe you're right, why do you feel the need to call those who don't hold your view "morons?" It's funny--actually, sad--that those who don't believe as they do are called idiots and morons.
Should we close our schools because "THERE'S NO MONEY"???
The parking lot and bus loop is clearly in terrible condition and something needs to be done.
Patching is actually a waste of money and you cannot overlay what is there now.
PARK ON THE GRASS, you pansy. To suggest they close the school because there's no money is just flat out stupid. Go back to work Fredericksen.
11:08 how about calling people "dense"? It is a shame people need to name call.
Sounds fishy, one of the teachers has a business that seals blacktops, on the side.
I've reviewed the plans and specifications for this project. WCBOE could realize considerable savings if they would entertain value engineering proposals for various aspects of this project. The trench drain storm drain system and the submerged gravel wetland components really drove the cost of the project up. Numerous engineering oversights and discrepancies led to a considerable amount of confusion among the bidders.
WCBOE and confusion.....they seem to go together all too often.
The excessive stormwater required for this project is part of marylands new stormwater regulations. 11:37 is correct about those systems driving up cost, however, with the regulations as they are the only value engineering you can do is to not expand parking, thus no additional stormwater management required. Current budgets do not support expanding parking either. I agree, go park on the grass.
Anonymous said...
I just love when morons like you voice opinions about things they have no clue of. Did you bother tho even check the engineering study?
May 27, 2011 8:57 AM
This is interesting! A WCBOE blogging while on the County Taxers time!
Go park in the grass? I have lived on the shore for over 20 years. In that time i have seen our local water ways and, our national treasure the Chesapeake bay decimated by people who claim to care. For someone to say and i quote (PARK ON THE GRASS, you pansy)leads me to think you must be truly uninformed about pollution problems in our water ways. You people with the opinion that multiple cars should just go park in the grass must not have any clue of the pressure our water ways are under going. When i first moved here you could swim in Salisbury thanks to people with views like this i wouldn't even stick my feet in any of the water ways around Salisbury to cool off.
Joe I agree with you. If there is no money than there is NO repaving PERIOD. Just like everyone else. I'm sure there are people out there that really need something but you learn to make do with what you have because there is no money in your budget for it.
Anon 0857 -
First, I love it when someone resorts to calling names but don't have the guts to sign their own. Second, this sounds just like a John Fredericksen bait and switch. You reference an "engineering study" but don't cite any reason other than that. It's the classic "appeal to authority" fallacy. As invalid today as in Aritstotle's time.
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Anon 0942 -
I appreciate your view. When I went to look at it I thought it was a tad small myself. However, I have seen pictures of the lot during the school day (I didn't go until about 5 PM) that show quite a few vacant spaces.
Let's assume that a little extra space is needed. Do we need to spend a half million dollars to do a big expansion?
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Anon 1111 -
No we shouldn't close the schools. We shouldn't just waste money either. The person who put me on to this story is a contractor with experience in these matters. Until he proves incredible, I'm happy to accept his word.
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Anon 1855 -
From a few people parking on the grass? Get real.
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Anon 2237 -
I had to contradict everyone, including my pal Joe. There is money in the school construction fund for this type of project. That's what the money is there for. However, why should you expand a parking lot where the need is debatable when you have schools without water fountains or ones that need new roofs.
This is a common theme going back to the debate over the new Bennett Middle School. Why should the taxpayers foot the bill for a new school when the WCBOE won't properly take care of what they have.
WCBOE Stupid is what stupid does.
pave our streets with the money. 40 year potholes...disgusting!
Why doesn't the Board get fined by the Health Department for every day Beaver Run is in the shape it's in? Why isn't the school closed?
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