To the editor:

I am opposed to the proposed school bond. Please be clear, this is not about personal criticism of the school board members. We are not challenging the integrity of these elected officials; we are challenging their choices regarding educational funding and policies. It is the wrong bond at the wrong time!

My core objections are:

1. This bond does nothing that directly benefits teachers and education.

2. Our kids need strong and viable neighborhood schools, which, in turn, promote strong neighborhoods.

3. The total bond (principal and interest) is about $80 million; in hard times, such a burden should not be placed upon the citizens.

4. If the recent newspaper articles identifying urgent maintenance needs are accurate, where has our management been? These problems should be corrected at far less than the massive bond proposal.

5. We need alternatives for high school students, but $7 million for less than 100 students seems outrageous. Where are the real alternative proposals for all high school students — vo-tech education, skilled trades, etc.?

6. I object to $3.5 million to $5.3 million being paid to consultants who have an inherent conflict to propose the biggest bond possible.

Vote “no” because we can and should do better for our kids and our community. A “no” vote means casting a vote for a better bond; for saving neighborhood schools; and for a better approach to our children’s education.

Ronald Schneider,

Lawrence