To the Editor:
The editor of this paper attacked the character of those who are holding the Mitchell School District’s leadership accountable . It is now proven that they were wrong about enforcing harmful mask mandates. Studies show that the lack of oxygen impaired student’s cognitive abilities. I witnessed middle school students outside running while wearing masks during the mandate.
Clearly the District’s leadership was not thinking about kids. If a new high school is in the kid’s best interests, why didn’t it get done 10 years ago? Answer: they didn’t want the property owners to vote on it. Instead they approved a $15 million Performing Arts Center and then planned a second phase to be done in 2025.
Watertown remodeled their high school with a little over $15 million. Mitchell school’s leadership refused to look at that option and is now demanding that property owners pay $80 million on a new high school.
Instead of maintaining the high school, our tax money was stuffed into a slush fund. In January 2022, they approved a $25 million bond, refusing to allow a referendum. This paper quoted the former superintendent: “We do not have a final price on the building right now, but we are committed to the fact that this money and saving for this purpose, along with the federal dollars, will cover the budget for this building.” The $17 million bond represents a failure to keep that promise.
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In August this paper reported this “The constituents that I visit with are of the same mind I am. They would like to be doing it all at once, but on the other hand they don’t want to see an increase in their taxes. They want us to live within our means and do what we can and move forward with the next steps as quickly as is economically feasible," Olson said.
The $17 million bond is a reversal of that position. This isn’t for the kids, as much as it’s for those who have and will receive the $80 million by using kids as political pawns.
Don't be fooled.
Steve Sibson
Mitchell
The Trust Project
