I read the article about you and the Times Union and one of your points about the special tax referendum was about the School Board Building.
Well I thought I would try and clear it up for you.
First it shouldn't matter what they do with the building. It really has nothing to do with what they are trying to do to fix our schools.
Next the property and building is only worth about ten million dollars. People for some reason think it would be this huge windfall but it wouldn't be.
It's paid for, the board doesn't have to spend any money on it. Why would they move to a new property spending a significant amount of money, especially if there isn't a significant bid for its current.
Finally nobody is trying to buy it, nobody has come to them with an offer.
At the beginning of the piece you said you didn't know much about our school system, and that was refreshingly honest on your part, but also a choice. When people point to the school board building as a criticism, all it is is a canard that the uninformed use.
I think you might also be uninformed about the Civic Council, an organization you have pointed to that the school board should listen too.
Did you know the KIPP school owes two members of the Civic Council, Gary Chartrand and John Baker over ten million dollars. the screen shot below is from one of the three charities that service the KIPP school's most recent available tax returns.
Notice it says due, which unless the city attorney changed the meaning of that word as well, it means owed, it's a debt.
Have you considered the civic council is fighting for a larger slice of the tax referendum pie because two of their members want to be paid?
I urge you to being the referendum up so the people of Jacksonville can have a vote and I know you think it will fail, but you should consider you don't know much about that either.
Thank You
Chris Guerrieri
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