Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Dear Editor,

In an interesting twist to a previous letter to the editor by George Henry of Hogansville titled “Us or Them:  Who pays for public education?” Mr. Henry raises an interesting question.

Dr. Henry’s comments that “They claim a pattern of wasteful spending by the system that conflicts with carefully documented figures by the system’s qualified career professionals, and they blame the current Board of Education as well as the new school superintendent.” We don’t claim a pattern of wasteful spending, we state the facts, and we use their numbers to do it. When we get the board’s spending under control, we can all have tax breaks.

We blame the members of the Board of Education who have been asleep at the wheel. They knew they were in violation of GA State Law O.C.G.A. 20-2-167 but apparently the law did not apply to them?

There are several numbers I want to bring to your attention:

• Revenues have increased 9.6% to $110,251,354 or $1,934,770 per year
• Maintenance and operations have increased 26.0% or $454,271 per year
• Administrative expenses have increased 36.7% to $11,813,141 or $633,868.40 per year
• Student transportation has increased 41.0% or $544,465.60 per year over the last five years.

What is wrong with this picture? 

Nick Simpson
LaGrange