Eva Wilson

Seattle

The district is estimating a cost of $700,000 just to bulldoze Case Avenue Elementary and cart away 150,000 square feet worth of brick and mortar, which would be replaced with plywood and staples. It’s not just a question of money; it’s a question of waste.

Our natural resources are not infinite. New construction would require all new materials and greater consumption of energy in the manufacturing, delivery and assembly of said materials.

Renovation allows for use of a well-built shell and elimination of redundancy. This seems like a good opportunity to teach the children to recycle, reduce, and re-use for a better tomorrow.

Board President Melvin Bandzak claims that, “a new building would last 50 years and a renovation would last 20.” It is highly unlikely that a new building would last 50 years without any major facilities renovations or upgrades to keep the site up to code. Industry standard is a 20-year cycle, so any decision is a “Band-Aid” because the tax-payers will continuously have to pony up the dough for extensive repairs on whatever buildings students and teachers occupy. There is more to consider than just dollars and cents. At less than 20 percent cost savings for new construction, the school district will get what they pay for.

According to my calculations, the estimated $4 million extra it would cost to renovate would only cost tax payers an extra $110 per student per year, assuming 1,820 students, or 140 students per grade level, kindergarten through twelfth grade.