To the editor:

Regarding the recent exchange of letters between David Holroyd and various supporters of Lawrence Alternative High School, I am disappointed to hear his detractors refer to him as ignorant or opposed to public schools. The fact that he comes from a family of teachers including his mother, aunts, great aunts, brother, sister, and cousins totaling ten educators, both past and present, might surprise his critics.

As for Mr. Holroyd personally, he holds an education degree from Kansas University. Arizona State University holds his personal papers at Hayden Library. He also donated his book collection to Harmon High School, a public school.

Some readers may not like his rather blunt views on school policy, but the facts he cites are not in dispute. They come directly from USD 497. Current LAHS funding per student is considerably more than the state provides. The new bond issue asks for $6 million for LAHS expansion. That’s 10 percent of the bond issue to serve less than 1 percent of the student population. Perhaps Mr. Holroyd’s critics should do some homework of their own to explain why that would be such a good deal for the rest of the USD 497 students and taxpayers. Let’s look at the facts rather than reacting emotionally and engaging in name-calling. The proposed expansion sounds like a covert approach to a third high school.

Don Nelson,

Lawrence