Homework time
There’s no getting around the fact that $84 million is a big number.
When Aurora Public Schools unveiled its latest proposal this week for a new high school and improvements at the elementary and middle schools, that price tag was bound to get people’s attention. It should.
But at this early stage of the process, perhaps the most important thing for the community to do is not decide whether $84 million is too much or too little. It’s to study the plan.
This proposal didn’t appear overnight. It is the result of several years of strategic planning, facility assessments, community input and a process that has worked through multiple options before arriving at the two proposals now on the table. Both include a new high school, along with what the district has identified as priority needs at the elementary and middle schools.
There is plenty to consider.
The district has provided detailed drawings of the proposed facilities, explanations of the needs being addressed and projections showing what the financial impact could look like for property owners. The proposal also raises legitimate questions about construction, location, timing, financing and the long-term needs of a school district that hopes to serve students for decades to come.
Those are questions worth asking.
They are also questions that deserve more than a quick reaction to an $84 million headline.
As we noted in March, the advisory committee’s work was only the beginning of the community conversation. That conversation has now moved to a much larger audience.
So, take some time. Look at the plans. Review the numbers. Ask questions. Attend the upcoming forums and open houses. Talk about the proposal with your neighbors.
A possible bond election is still months away. There is time for the community to do its homework.
For a decision that could shape Aurora Public Schools for the next several decades, that’s time well spent.
-- Kurt Johnson