OCR Text |
Show For consolidation vote Editor: - ; . v:,... I appreciated reading the comments com-ments of the Alpine School Board entitled "Both sides of education issue" in the Provo Herald. The interesting part of their letter was the indication that they would be receptive to consolidating the school districts in Utah County by a vote of the people. They gave three points of criteria which must be a result of consolidation by study, before allowing the citizens to vote on the question. Number one, that it will actually save money. Number two, that the quality of education will be as good or better. Number three, if the above two items are positive, the issue should be placed before the voters of Utah County. I agree, and I hope that they will follow through with putting this on the ballot. Consolidation is already working very effectively and efficiently in most counties of our state, with a lot larger area to administer. The argument by the larger district administrators against the comparison com-parison by area size, is by quoting figures of population, per capital, per pupil ratio, per thousand figures to confound and confuse the issue. Our many students in this county are now being taught by teachers in each school very effectively. Each school has its own administration personnel. With consolidation of school districts, there would be no change in this area whatsoever. The number two criteria mentioned men-tioned by the Alpine School Board would be. met. The quality of education would not change. Parents and students would not - even realize any change had taken place. We now have three school districts in our county - Alpine, Provo and Nebo, all with heavy administrative personnel, separate accounting, payroll, warehouses and maintenance personnel. With consolidation, these would all be combined, eliminating duplication and waste, and reducing some personnel and benefits. Criteria number one would be met, with a resultant savings. Criteria number three states, "If the first two are positive," then the citizens should have the opportunity to vote. The education administrators and their unions argue that supervision of principals would suffer, unless they keep the same number of administrators. They give very little credit to the principals. Teachers and principals would still have a department or area supervisor to contact as they do now. They would not need to have three of them. One set of administrators and supervisors can enlarge their area of responsibility, just as they have done in other industries, without affecting the quality of education, or we get new supervisors. WHat is the necessity of an extensive, ex-tensive, expensive study. Common sense and reasoning shows that the criteria can be met by consolidation. con-solidation. The time for change and not talk is here. Let the people vote by ballot. -ILL. Wright rem |