William Larsen

Just the Facts!

Fact: The proposed new High School is 38% larger per student than Carroll High School.
Fact: The proposed new High School had nearly $27 million allocated to athletic facilities.
Fact: The $118 million price tag included $20 million for Carroll High School upgrades.
Fact: The proposed new High School used 250 sq. ft. per student at $275 per sq. ft while Carroll High School has 182 sq. ft. per student and used $161 per sq. ft. for Carroll’s new addition. Did the study double count the cost of athletic facilities?
Fact: The two school cost estimate had a capacity of 2,656 students while the renovated Carroll School would have 2,571. Additional students increase costs regardless of a single school or two school option.
Fact: $10 million in technology upgrades is equivalent to giving $2,100 to each freshman over ten years to buy a computer. Will these technology upgrades last ten years? If not then the cost per student increases.
Fact: Custodial and Food service personnel are dependent on enrollment only. Therefore two separate schools do not increase or decrease these staffing positions.
Fact: Carroll High School and the Freshmen Academy have their own principal, assistant principals, librarian, nurse and guidance counselor(s). Opening a second High School and closing the Freshmen Academy does not increase or decrease the existing staff. Therefore two separate schools do not increase or decrease these staffing positions...
Fact: The staffing cost estimate for two staffs identifies a $1.1 million net increase over a renovated Carroll, not $2.9 million.
Fact: Building the same size school in relationship to Carroll’s design enrollment will reduce the study’s estimated maintenance, utilities and custodial costs by $461,648 per year.
Fact: The NACS board spent $0.9 million to convert Carroll Middle School to a Freshmen Academy.
Fact: The NACS board spent $35 million to build a replacement middle school for Carroll Middle School.
Fact: The NACS board spent $18 million ten years ago to renovate and increase enrollment capacity by 200 seats to Carroll High School.
Fact: The NACS board has spent nearly $54 million to increase Carroll’s enrollment capacity and now they want to spend another $63.75 million to increase it further for a total of over $117 million.
Fact: The designed enrollment capacity of Carroll and the Freshmen Academy is 2,400 students. As of August 29, 2006 total enrollment was 1,819 students or 76% of capacity. According to the NACS demographer, enrollment will not reach 2,431students until the 2015-16 school year. No renovation or new school is needed for nine years.
Fact: When and if a second high school is needed, the enrollment of each school will be over 1,150 students. This was the enrollment of Carroll in 1997-98 school year.
Fact: The purpose of public high school is to teach students how to teach themselves and prepare students for further education. It is not to replace college or post high school education.

This petition drive is not about two high schools, but is about spending taxpayer’s money wisely. We have years before additional high school capacity is needed. We have years to perform a real study, using real numbers, using good accounting standards and from these create a long term plan for NACS. Sign Blue to keep property taxes low through responsible spending and accounting of taxpayers money.

posted by William Larsen @ 11:58 PM