An anonymous special correspondent directs our attention to a news item of enormous relevance to Madison's new gym ballot issue. KELO-TV reports on plans just released today by the Sioux Falls School District to expand the auxiliary gym at Lincoln High School. The district will spend $2.7 million to expand the existing gym to seat 2,000 spectators, a capacity matching what Roosevelt and Washington High Schools have. Even though the cost is about 30% higher than expected, the district apparently will still be able to fund the project entirely from its capital improvements budget -- i.e., without raising property taxes.
Now compare "Frequently Asked Question" #9 on the Madison athletic supporters' pro-gym website, "Can a new Gymnasium [sic] be built for less money?":
...This facility is the product of careful study comparing Madison’s size and needs to other schools of similar size. Madison doesn’t need huge arenas like Sioux Falls or Watertown, but does have similar needs to places like Lennox, Salem and Volga, which have all recently built new gymnasiums. If this facility was built with the current High School in the 1960’s or the Middle School in the 1990’s, the cost would have been less than it is today. However, with the current construction costs, this is a reasonable price to build a practical facility to meet Madison’s needs. [emphasis mine]The gym backers say we don't need a big Sioux-Falls-size gym. Yet they want to spend $5.83 million to build a gym in Madison (high school enrollment ~413) that holds 2170 spectators, 170 more than what the expanded gym at Sioux Falls Lincoln (enrollment ~1902) will hold [enrollment figures courtesy SD Department of Education fall enrollment database, AY 2004-2005]. Maybe what they meant to say was, "Madison doesn't need a huge arena like Sioux Falls, but we'd like the taxpayers to buy us one anyway."
Even if the gym backers can justify an arena bigger than the Lincoln Patriots' home court, they still have to explain how Sioux Falls can come up with a comparable amount of seating for less than half the price of the Madison bond issue, and without a tax increase.
Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteUpdate on your enrollment figures can be found here. http://doe.sd.gov/ofm/fallenroll/index.asp
The above website gives the 2006 fall enrollment figures for Madison, and we only have 391 students now,a further drop in enrollment. Lincoln has 1,882 as of fall 2006.
So Madison HS has 20.8% of the students that Lincoln HS has, and yet we need a gym with the same seating capacity as they do? And at twice the cost? Give me a break!
I called Lincoln HS because I was concerned about the word "auxiliary" gym.
ReplyDeleteThey have 3 gyms. The main gym is where the BB games are played. Apparently that main gym doesn't even hold their entire student body of 1,882, so its capacity is probably slighty less than 2,000. This auxiliary gym is being expanded to hold 2,000. These are two separate gyms. They also have a gym for gymnastics.
So I guess even though this is an auxiliary gym, and they have another gym, BB games can only be played in one or the other, so spectator seating would still be only 2,000 max at any single game. So the argument still holds that Madison wants a gym of comparable size with a student population of only 20.8% of Lincoln's.
Thanks, Anon! That's what I like about my readers: they want the facts, and they'll make an effort to find them out for themselves.
ReplyDeleteThat clarification about the gyms is very helpful. Lincoln's gym arrangement sounds like Madison's existing physical plant. We have the main gym, the practice gym in the high school, and a separate gymnastics center. If we build the new gym, will we actually have more playing space than Sioux Falls Lincoln? If we can afford that, then we can afford a classroom dedicated to the debate team as well (just like Lincoln, which actually has separate classrooms dedicated to interp and debate).
How about somebody write a letter to the editor about the fact that Madison HS has 21% of the number of students that Lincoln HS has, yet the promoters of the Madison gym want seating for the same number of spectators as Lincoln. Why?
ReplyDeleteThe promoters have already claimed that Madison does NOT need the same size gyms as the three HS's in Sioux Falls, yet that is exactly what they are proposing with the $5.8M bond issue. Why?
Did they not think people would check on their facts and figures?
Continuation of above comments. I challenge some others to write letters to the editor asking these hard questions. So far there have been only four different letter writers, even though I hear many people are against it. It's sad that people are afraid to speak up for fear of retribution to them at work or to their kids at school.
ReplyDeleteThe promoters of this campaign need to be asked some hard questions, and from a variety of people from a variety of angles. If no one says anything or is afraid to stick their necks out and this thing gets passed, we will all be paying for it for 25 LONG and expensive years.
Get together as a group if necessary, challenge the promoters, make them admit that they know their economic impact numbers are inflated, make them admit the complete cost of this gym which would be at least $10M to $11M, tell them to raise most of the money by those who will benefit from the gym. There is still time.
The promoters are counting on their door to door campaign to those they know will support the gym and counting on the lack of interest by everyone else and hoping that everyone forgets about voting. PROVE THEM WRONG! But it will take some effort on everyone's part.
Good words, Anonymous!
ReplyDeleteOn more letters to the editor -- absolutely, we need them. I've written one on this issue, and I'm considering a second. Keep in mind, Jon Hunter allows each writer two letters per topic.
Fear of retribution? I remain amazed that so many people talk about such fear in this town. Is there that much to be afraid of? Are the powers that be really that interested in knocking down people who oppose them? Let's not worry -- speak up! It's a free country as long as we exercise and defend out freedom. That's not always easy, but it's worth it (on this ballot issue, it's at least worth $100 a year on your taxes). Spread the word; direct your web-browsing Madison friends to this blog; speak your mind here. For those of you who worried about retribution, you're welcome to stay anonymous. But I'm eager for the day when every citizen of this town feels comfortable putting his name to every word he says, no matter who disagrees with him.
It's worth $700 a year to us as farmers. It's worth almost $300 to a Lake Madison resident we talked today. It's a huge amount for many, but unfortuantelu not for most of the promoters themselves. Are you listening, Mr. Namken? (who paid nothing in property taxes last year!)
ReplyDeleteNow I'm hearing talk that the ones who want this so bad have/are recruiting DSU students to vote. I don't think to many of them are or ever will pay property taxes in Madison.
ReplyDeleteIf that's the case (and if any DSU students would like to confirm this recruitment push, please comment here!), then all we taxpayers can do is make sure we show our own "Madison Pride" and turn out at the polls in big numbers.
ReplyDeleteI think many people are forgetting that Lincoln is basically building on to an existing, auxiliary gym to be their new gym, whereas Madison is building a whole new facility.
ReplyDeleteSo in that sense, they're paying less money. Lincoln is extending a couple of walls, we have to worry about four new ones.
Anyone can to explain why our school board is so corrupt and spend countless numbers of dollars out of pure.. I dont know what... insansity? Than tax payers have to eat the opt outs since our school board cannot complete a budget that doesn't call for a new school, a new gym, a new this or a new that and not take care of what we currently have. Imagine being a real estate owner of 2, 3, 4, hell 10+ properties!!!! Once in a while I do agree with you Cory. Maybe more residents need to attend school board meetings and let our fustrations be heard?
ReplyDelete