BFA Fairfax Middle/High School Renovation Project By Ken & Joanne McAvery

Dear Henry

Please consider posting the attached communication to your website.

Thanks

Ken McAvey

BFA FAIRFAX Middle/High School Renovation Project – Bond Vote September 8th, 2007

To Fairfax Taxpayers and others this matter concerns:

I attended the Project informational meeting at BFA last night and came away with the opinion that there was little clarity regarding the merits of the project but there is a warning to Fairfax voters of a $16 million Bond referendum to be held on or before 10/10/17 inclusive of an early voting option. One month from now!

It is clear that the board members fully support their Plan. It was presented in terms of subjective black and white justifications without any skepticism for grey concerns or need for answers, yet there was an appeal for additional community questions and comments.

I was surprised to learn that the requested $16 million was presented without a breakdown for the projects component parts including provision for cost contingencies. From the presentation there is no way to differentiate the part of the project expenditure which addresses need to do versus nice to do items. Any good, better or best alternative proposals were not discussed. As well, from the presentation, one could not understand if there was consideration and assessment of the possible risk assumptions associated with the project.

As a Fairfax resident I’m still trying to wrap my head around last year’s vote regarding garbage collection and the impact that has had on quality of service and increase in taxes. Comparatively, this school capital project has huge implications. From the information available I can’t tell if it is the greatest thing since sliced bread or just lipstick on a pig. There was strong inference made that expenditure would have a positive impact on resulting student educational performance but I believe that it offers little in this regard compared with the quality of the schools educators. Having talented, vibrant, dedicated and committed teachers is the ingredient that separates the comparative quality of a school.

During the meeting comments were made regarding the possibility that parts of the project scope duplicates other community resources currently available or being planning. As well, I have a concern for the possibility or perhaps certainty that capital project will require commensurate growth in school spending in terms of maintenance, staff, administration and other overhead costs that have not been factored in at this point.

Bottom line for me is that the timing of project implementation has not provided adequate period for communication with the taxpayers of Fairfax who will be impacted. In this regard, I am not convinced that the plan is particularly time sensitive. I believe it would be appropriate to consider deferring Bond vote for one year in order to allow time to gather community inputs, provide additional supporting details and alternatives to afford proper opportunity for Voters to make a responsible and informed vote October, 2018.

Ken and Joanne McAvey
Residents for 38 years