To the editor:

Unanswered questions from USD 497 school board, need to be addressed.

1. The district paid $4.1 million for the building at 110 McDonald Drive for an administration center in January 1999. Now, only three years later the school board members, unable to make decisions by themselves, hire a consultant to tell them and the taxpayers that Lawrence High School needs new windows. Four million dollars would have remodeled LHS. Why is a consultant needed?

2. How much cash does the district have now? The public should read in the paper all money on hand from ’99 bonds, capital outlay, contingency reserve, and bond and interest, general fund and supplemental general fund accounts. How come we never see any front page articles in the Journal World about the finances of the district?

3. With a reduction in teaching staff throughout the district, how can the school board members allow the ex-superintendent, Mr. Neuenswander, to continue to be on the payroll, at the expense of the taxpayers, with a salary of $42,399 (including mileage allowance of $200/month and fringe benefits (health and dental insurance) totaling $1,980/year?

4. The school board does not represent taxpayers. Many taxpayers cannot even vote for board members because they do not live in the state of Kansas or Douglas County or in District 497.

5. Now, chew on this! How can borrowing $3 million in fees for DLR and repaying it over 20 years with interest be a good thing?

David Holroyd,

Lawrence