Time to Move on to #2

I love a really good plan. It just makes everything run so much smoother if things are thought about and worked out on the front end. And, that is why I have been really supportive of the renovation and restoration of White Pine School. For the first time in my memory, there was a reasonable plan in place and a way to pay for it that wasn’t going to add to the burden that tax payers already carry. But, I must admit that I am more than a little disappointed in the plan that is going to be presented to the County Commission next week for the White Pine project. Yes. It includes the needed kitchen space and, this time, it includes equipment for the kitchen. But it simply falls short in addressing the portable classrooms. What is needed is eight classrooms. That is the magic number that will allow all the students to have a proper classroom. But, that is not what we are getting for our $2 million dollars. What we are getting is half of what we need- four classrooms- and so we will still be stuck with kids in portables and separated from the school building.

Let me be honest here. If I were sitting in a position of power, I would send that architect right back to the drawing board. Several architects lobbied for this job and they all knew up front the list of priorities. Kitchen and eight classrooms-period. No one was foolish enough to think that we could get more than that for our price point but we need what we need. If the architect did not think that they could produce a kitchen renovation and eight classrooms for $2 million dollars then they should not have lobbied for the project. Architects are different from contractors and we could move on to our second choice, if #1 is just unwilling or not capable of providing the design that we need. It is obvious that part of the school board wants to move on to #2. But, as usual, they have been hit with scare tactics and are afraid to make the move. This time, it is not the money or a contract that is holding them hostage, but, rather, the proclamation that if there is any time lapse the kitchen will not be finished this summer. I know how bad White Pine needs a kitchen renovation this summer but not at the cost of the rest of the project. The reality is that it is highly unlikely, according to the architect, that the project will be finished when school starts on the current time line. Sure, it will be messy and uncomfortable if arrangements have to be made to feed students early next school year because the renovation is not finished but we are already looking at one month of mess. Is it not worth another few weeks of mess to get those students out of portables? My magic 8 ball says that if #1 architect can’t provide what we need it is time to move on to #2 and see what they can do.

I find it interesting that #1 architect has the time and appears to believe that they have the instruction to do preliminary designs on administrative wings or new gyms. Those things would be nice. But so would a design to meet the directive of a kitchen renovation and eight classrooms. I know, from discussion in school board meetings, that some of the Board are wondering the same thing. I really, really want what is best for White Pine School. I really, really want what is best for the tax payers in Jefferson County. And, I do not believe that those things have to be at odds. The County Commission and the School Board have a fiscally sound plan to pay for the project. But the scope of the project is the problem. We know what we need- a kitchen and eight classrooms. I hope that the County Commission will insist that we get exactly what we need. It is almost funny that after all of these years we would let the threat of a couple of months of bag lunches derail what could be a spectacular win for White Pine School and Jefferson County. If something is worth doing it is worth doing right. And if architect #1 can’t do it, I bet someone else can.