Sparta High School plan makes one wonder

To the Editor: I recently received a letter signed by Dr. J. Thomas Morton, superintendent of the Sparta public schools, saying that the school board decided at their meeting of Jan. 23 to move forward with reconstruction of the present Sparta High School. By electing to pursue this option, which they had previously turned down as unacceptable, Dr. Morton wrote, “It will give our town a virtually new 21st century high school that will meet the educational and facility needs of our students, staff, and community for years to come.” The cost of this reconstruction will save the taxpayers some $3.5 million compared to what the new high school was going to cost. Now, if what he says is true, why didn’t the school board opt for this course in the first place, before spending a lot of money on surveys, threatening property seizure via eminent domain, and delaying for more than two years while insisting that the only option was a “completely new high school,” even after the first referendum for the new high school was voted down. It makes one wonder if one of the other less expensive options, such as split sessions, might not serve just as well. Leonard R. Peck Sparta